Department for Transport

Public Transport: Coronavirus

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that public transport remains accessible for disabled people during the covid-19 outbreak.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Government remains as committed to delivering inclusive transport for all passengers as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. Our expectation is that transport operators should continue to assist disabled passengers who need assistance. I made this clear in my open letter to the rail industry on 8 April 2020 (www.gov.uk/government/speeches/letter-from-the-rail-minister-to-the-rail-delivery-group-on-maintaining-accessibility-during-the-covid-19-outbreak) . We have also made clear to local authorities that the Public Sector Equality Duty still applies and that they must continue to consider the needs of disabled people. An accessible public realm is vital to enabling disabled people to access public transport. On 9 May the Department published statutory guidance to local authorities on reallocating road space which makes clear that authorities must consider the needs of disabled people and those with other protected characteristics when making changes to their transport networks (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reallocating-road-space-in-response-to-covid-19-statutory-guidance-for-local-authorities/traffic-management-act-2004-network-management-in-response-to-covid-19). Public Sector Equality Duty requirements apply to temporary measures as they do to permanent ones. I am meeting regularly with key disability stakeholders, including Disability Rights UK, Scope, Guide Dogs and Transport for All, to hear directly from them about the experiences of disabled people using transport. This means we will be able to take action quickly if we find that passengers are not receiving the assistance to which they are entitled.

Public Transport: Coronavirus

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to distribute protective masks for disabled extremely vulnerable passengers on services provided by Transport for London; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Last month we made it mandatory for passengers to wear a face covering when travelling on public transport in England, unless they are exempt for health, disability or other reasons. We expect people to bring their own coverings and it is not the responsibility of public transport operators to provide them for their passengers. Face coverings are available to purchase at many retailers and public transport hubs, whilst there is advice on the gov.uk website which describes in detail how people can make their own (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering). To help introduce this policy, we have distributed over two million face coverings which were donated to the Government. These were distributed to local transport providers, National Rail and maritime operators across the country for use by passengers and the transport workforce. In London, TfL has also been helping their customers adjust to the new requirement by temporarily distributing face masks at targeted Tube and bus stations.

Bus Service Operators Grant: Hydrogen

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of amending the Bus Service Operator's Grant to include hydrogen.

Rachel Maclean: As announced in the ‘Better Deal for Bus Users’ package, the Government remains committed to the reform of the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) in order to support the environment and improved passenger journeys.

Buses: Hydrogen

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to announce further information on his Department's policy to introduce (a) a hydrogen bus town scheme and (b) a hydrogen hub.

Rachel Maclean: The Transport Secretary is exploring options for using hydrogen in transport. Further details will be announced in due course.

Railways: Season Tickets

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require rail franchisees to provide part-time season tickets; what assessment he has made of the increase in demand for part-time season tickets following increases in home working in relation to the covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Government recognises that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a fundamental change in working patterns and that this could have long-term effects. The Department is commissioning research and analysis to understand future commuting patterns and potential demand for more flexible commuting fares.More immediately, the Department is working with industry to explore already available options for flexible commuters, such as carnets, and what steps could be taken quickly to make these as useful and convenient for passengers as possible.

Travel: Coronavirus

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria his Department uses for the establishment of travel corridors between the UK and other countries.

Kelly Tolhurst: I refer the honourable member to the Secretary of State for Transport’s Written Ministerial Statement on travel corridors made on 6 July 2020.

Railways: Coronavirus

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to monitor the proportion of customers using face masks on trains.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department for Transport receives regular data from Network Rail and operators about the proportion of customers wearing face coverings on trains. The Office for National Statistics also conducts a weekly survey to track the proportion of people declaring they wear a face covering on public transport. Their survey shows significant public support for the measure - of those adults who had used public transport in the past seven days, 89% had worn a face covering while doing so across all of Great Britain. This rate was the same in England. To help encourage enforcement of the requirement, Police and TfL enforcement officers have been deployed across the network to support frontline transport staff. Not everyone can wear a face covering, for various reasons, which is why we would not expect 100% compliance with the policy.

Roads: Capital Investment

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the cumulative effect of its second Roads Investment Strategy on the level of, carbon dioxide emissions from now until the end of the fifth carbon budget period in 2032.

Rachel Maclean: Analysis carried out in the preparation of the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2) showed that the additional effect of new RIS2 schemes will be around 0.27 megatonne CO2 equivalent (MtCO2e) through to the end of the 2032. When compared to the UK’s fifth carbon budget of 1,725 MtCO2e, these schemes represent an extremely small component.

Roads: Capital Investment

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the most recent Appraisal Summary Tables for all the capital enhancement schemes in the Road Investment Strategy 2.

Rachel Maclean: The latest approved Appraisal Summary Tables for enhancement schemes included in the second Road Investment Strategy are being published by Highways England on whatdotheyknow.com.

Public Transport: Information Services

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure public access to the Zipabout Passenger Connect service.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Zipabout Passenger Connect service is freely available through the National Rail Enquiries (NRE) Alert Me service for anyone to sign up to via the website link (here: https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/208333.aspx). The Department is working with NRE on increasing the visibility and promotion of the messaging service on the website and app. Work is underway currently to consider how we can roll out similar services to users of other public transport.

High Speed Two: Directors

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who the newly appointed non-executive directors of HS2 are; and what their (a) responsibilities and (b) remuneration packages are.

Andrew Stephenson: The Secretary of State has appointed Ian King, Elaine Holt and Tom Harris. All non-executive directors are appointed to provide challenge and guidance to the Board, Chair and senior leadership at HS2, though each brings their own specialisms. Ian King has been appointed specifically to represent the government’s interests on the board. Appointees are remunerated at £950 per day, on an assumption of a time commitment of two days per month.

High Speed Two: Directors

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people applied to become non-executive directors of HS2; and what the process was by which the successful applicants were selected.

Andrew Stephenson: Seventy nine people applied to an open and fair competition overseen by Ministers, which was launched in June 2019. Elaine Holt was appointed via this process. Tom Harris has been directly appointed to his role for a one year term after which an open and fair competition will commence. Ian King has been directly appointed to his role for a three year term, something which is appropriate given his role as a government representative. All appointments have been made in accordance with the Government’s Governance Code for Public Appointments with the agreement of the Prime Minister and the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Aviation: Exhaust Emissions

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the Jet zero objective announced in the Prime Minister's Economy speech of 30 June 2020; and what steps he is taking to achieve that objective.

Kelly Tolhurst: On 12 June the Transport Secretary announced the creation of the Jet Zero Council. We have been working with the Business Secretary on the aims and objectives of the Council. It is our intention to publish draft membership and terms of reference before summer recess.

Aircraft

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of the UK's civil aviation fleet  is (a) under 5 years old, (b) between 5 and 10 years old and (c) over 15 years old.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Department for Transport does not routinely collect statistical data on the age of the UK civil aviation fleet. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) maintains a database (https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/) of all UK registered aircraft which can be individually queried to determine the year an aircraft was built.

Rolling Stock: Procurement

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, will he will make it his policy to establish a criteria that promotes UK manufacturing in procurement contracts for rail rolling stock after the end of the transition period.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The end of the transition period presents an important opportunity for wider reform of our public procurement framework to ensure it meets our national needs, drives improved commercial outcomes, removes complex and unnecessary bureaucratic rules, and reduces burdens on business, whilst continuing to comply with the UK's obligations under its international trade agreements. This includes the World Trade Organization’s Government Procurement Agreement, which the UK will accede to as an independent member at the end of the transition period. We will continue to work closely with industry, including rail businesses, to promote skilled employment and manufacturing in the UK.

Railways: Technology

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps is he taking to increase the level of renewable technology used on the rail network.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Government supports the use of new technology on the railway to deliver our legally binding target of net-zero UK greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Department for Transport is working with Network Rail and the rail industry to determine which parts of the network are best suited to use of hydrogen or battery trains, as well as further electrification. DfT is also supporting the development of hydrogen and battery technology through innovation funding and research to overcome safety and other barriers to their deployment.

Railway Stations: Visual Impairment

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of operational railways platforms that are (a) owned and (b)  managed by Network Rail that do not have tactile warnings installed to warn visually-impaired people of the platform edge.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Data on the facilities available at stations is collected and held by the Rail Delivery Group, who you can contact using info@raildeliverygroup.com.

Railway Stations: Visual Impairment

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, by what date his Department plans for every operational platform that is (a) owned and (b) managed by Network Rail will meet the European Technical Specification for Interoperability covering Persons of Reduced Mobility of the provision of tactile warnings installed to warn visually-impaired people of the platform edge.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department expects the industry to meet current accessibility requirements whenever it installs, renews or replaces station infrastructure. In addition, by 2030, we envisage equal access for disabled people using the transport system, with assistance if physical infrastructure remains a barrier.

Railways: Exhaust Emissions

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on delivering net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 on the rail network.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Government is developing an ambitious Transport Decarbonisation Plan to achieve net zero emissions across all modes of transport. We will use electrification and alternative technologies such as battery and hydrogen trains to remove diesel trains from the network and decarbonise the railway. Ongoing work led by Network Rail will inform decisions about the pace of rail decarbonisation to achieve net zero and the deployment of different decarbonisation technologies on each part of the network.

Jet Skis: Wales

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Welsh Government has legislative competence to regulate on the (a) use and (b) ownership of jet skis.

Kelly Tolhurst: Regulations on the use and ownership of jet skis and other personal water craft is a reserved matter for the UK Parliament. This is because they are within the scope of shipping, technical and safety standards of vessels that are not ships for the purposes of the Government of Wales Act 2006. Although the vast majority of personal watercraft users operate their craft responsibly, the Department for Transport are currently considering how to ensure that any who willfully or neglectfully cause accidents or endanger the safety of others can be prosecuted.

Airports: Coronavirus

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with airports on developing an international standard for testing of passengers at UK airports as part of the Government's covid-19 recovery plan.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government is working with a range of aviation sector representatives and international partners to drive forward a shared agenda on public health and aviation through regular meetings and correspondence, and remain committed to an open dialogue to actively engage with the sector as we work towards our shared ambition of getting aviation up and running again.

Airports: Coronavirus

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department’s policy is on the introduction of a common international standard on testing at UK airports.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government recognises the importance of international standards, and the UK has been working with a range of international partners to drive forward a shared agenda on public health and aviation through regular meetings and correspondence, including through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The UK is a member of the governing Council of ICAO and has played a leading role in the ICAO Civil Aviation Recovery Taskforce (CART), which was set up specifically to address the aviation industry’s recovery from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CART published guidance, including on public health measures for aviation, on 2 June. As a member of the governing Council of ICAO, the UK will continue to drive the agenda on public health measures for aviation as the sector’s recovery progresses and as the global health situation evolves, including exploring options for testing air passengers.

Taxis: Coronavirus

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2020 to Question 67659 on Taxis: Coronavirus, what plans he has to review the rules on making face coverings in taxis compulsory, following updated guidance on compulsory face coverings in shops from 24 July 2020.

Rachel Maclean: The Government has published safer transport guidance on the safe provision of transport services during the coronavirus pandemic. The guidance to passengers says that passengers should wear a face covering when using taxis or private hire vehicles. Taxi drivers are able to refuse carriage to passengers where it is reasonable to do so, and private hire vehicle operators can make wearing a face covering a condition of hiring. We are aware of private hire vehicle operators that are doing this and requiring the driver they work with to do the same. We are continually reviewing the guidance for safer transport in line with scientific advice.

Department for Transport: Apprentices

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to meet the public sector apprenticeship target.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department remains fully committed to the Government’s apprenticeship agenda and is actively encouraging both the recruitment of apprentices externally, through proactive outreach and the utilisation of apprenticeships to develop internal capability and strengthen talent pipelines. Due to the diverse work of the department, DfT core and each of its executive agencies (DfT Group) have developed localised strategies to support ongoing work against public-sector apprenticeship targets, and improve the overall quality of the apprentice experience. For mainstream recruitment, we have embedded a process standard across DfT Group requiring vacancy holders to consider recruiting apprentices as the default resourcing option to fill vacant roles. This is alongside work with the policy, HR, project delivery, finance and other technical operational professions to actively encourage apprenticeship uptake to support skills and capability growth and talent retention. From Autumn 2020 we plan to move to volume-based recruitment and apprenticeship management. Alongside this, we will continue to focus on developing our corporate support offer for apprentices and their line-managers, and strengthening supplier engagement to drive quality of provision.

Railways: Coronavirus

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the comparative cost of extending (a) rail operators’ Emergency Measures Agreements and (b) the Operator of Last Resort from September 2020.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department is reviewing its approach to potential contractual arrangements following the expiry of the Emergency Measures Agreements. Work is underway to consider a range of options and to determine the most appropriate approach. This work will take account of the potential impact of COVID-19 on demand for passenger rail travel in both the short and long term, and the associated economic and financial impacts on the railway, including analysis of Value for Money to taxpayers.

Transport: Coronavirus

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of wearing face coverings in (a) taxis,(b) buses and (c) trains on the transmission of covid-19.

Rachel Maclean: The decision to make face coverings mandatory on public transport was guided by scientific advice. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) advised using cloth face coverings as a precautionary measure in enclosed spaces such as public transport, where social distancing is not possible consistently, creating a risk of close social contact with multiple parties the person does not usually meet, for example, when passing by other passengers. This advice does not replace or change existing advice on other measures – such as good hand hygiene and social distancing – which remain critically important. Operators should also continue to follow the practical steps we have set out in the operator guidance to ensure their services are Covid-19 secure. Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles carry fewer people and are typically unlikely to involve passengers from more than one household travelling together, and passengers and drivers do not travel face-to-face. However, we recognise that taxis are confined, close spaces – our advice on face coverings remains that people should wear them in an enclosed space.

Railways: Coronavirus

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage passengers to safely use the railways as covid-19 restrictions are eased; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Our priority remains the safety of staff and passengers. Rail operators are working hard to ensure passengers can travel safely, in line with Public Health England advice. Measures taken thus far include regular station speaker announcements, the installation of clear floor markings and the provision of extra staff to manage passenger flows and provide guidance. As of 15 June, we have also made face coverings compulsory on public transport, to minimise the chances of the virus being spread by asymptomatic patients. In order to support a safe, green recovery and new working patterns, the department is also working with industry to explore already available options for flexible commuters, such as carnets, and what steps could be taken quickly to make these as useful and convenient for passengers as possible.

Railways: Coronavirus

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with train operating companies on the potential merits of offering incentives for passengers to safely return to using the railways as covid-19 restrictions are eased; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Following the Prime Minister’s announcement on 17th July and as we now understand the epidemiology of the virus better and can control it through targeted, local action, we are extending our plan to lift the remaining national restrictive measures. Our priority remains the safety of staff and passengers. Rail operators are making sure passengers have the confidence to return to the railway, and continue to take all necessary measures to make rail travel safe. These include the installation of clear floor markings and the provision of extra staff to manage passenger flows and provide guidance. On 15 June, we made face coverings compulsory on public transport, to prevent the transmission of the virus by asymptomatic patients.In order to support a safe, green recovery and new working patterns, the department is also working with industry to explore already available options for flexible commuters, such as carnets, and what steps could be taken quickly to make these as useful and convenient for passengers as possible.

Large Goods Vehicles: Coronavirus

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the covid-19 outbreak, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of permitting a twelve month extension to MOT tests for heavy goods vehicles in cases where it can be shown to be safe to do so; and if he will make a statement.

Rachel Maclean: The Government is aware of calls from some sectors of the road haulage industry to issue Certificates of Temporary Exemption for periods of up to 12 months, in order to mitigate operational issues. These views are being actively considered at present. Consequent to passage of the Business and Planning Bill, regulations will be made relating to this issue in coming weeks.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Flexible Working: Coronavirus

Stuart Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to encourage businesses to allow flexible working during the covid-19 outbreak.

Paul Scully: Since Covid-19 measures were introduced many more people have been working from home with many businesses rapidly adapting to remote working, using new technology and finding new ways of working. The Government is keen to do more to promote flexible working in all its forms. All employees with 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer have the right to request Flexible Working. In our manifesto we said that, subject to consultation, we would introduce measures to make flexible working the default.

Parental Leave and Parental Pay: Coronavirus

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to introduce neonatal (a) leave and (b) pay for families affected by covid-19.

Paul Scully: We recognise that parents of sick and premature babies are in an extremely difficult and distressing position and that Covid-19 has made it difficult for some parents to spend time with their children. The social distancing measures that we put in place have, however, been necessary to save lives – including those of new parents and their babies – and protect the NHS. As announced in the Queen’s Speech, we intend to bring forward an Employment Bill which will include measures to allow parents of children who have spent time in neonatal care to take additional paid leave (subject to qualifying criteria). We intend to legislate as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Hospitality Industry: Coronavirus

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department is having with the events and weddings sector on the effect on that industry of covid-19 lockdown restrictions on gathering size.

Paul Scully: Ministers and officials from this Department are currently discussing COVID-19 secure guidance, and the effect of the COVID-19 restrictions, with representatives from the weddings industry. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport continues to engage with business events stakeholders to monitor the ongoing impact on exhibitions and events businesses.

Digital Markets Taskforce

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the membership of the Digital Markets Taskforce is; how often the taskforce meets; and whether the minutes of those meetings are published.

Paul Scully: The Digital Markets Taskforce (the taskforce) was set up alongside the Budget in 2020. It will provide advice to the Government on the potential design and implementation of pro-competitive measures for digital platform markets. The taskforce is a team based in the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and is led by a senior CMA official. It is independent of the Government and is made up of officials from:the CMAthe Office of Communications (Ofcom)the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) The work of the taskforce is ongoing and therefore there are no substantive meetings from which minutes should be published. The taskforce will provide written advice to the Government before the end of the year.

Nottingham University: Coronavirus

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the length of time it has taken Nottingham University's Scancell COVID-19 Vaccine group to receive Government funding in comparison to similar groups in (a) Oxford and (b) Imperial universities.

Amanda Solloway: No such assessment has been made on the length of time taken. The government understands the urgency of the response to COVID-19 and set up a rapid response R&D fund, to accelerate research proposals into the disease. All applications to the UKRI-DHSC rapid response call are assessed on their own merits and awards made so far can be found at: https://mrc.ukri.org/funding/browse/ukri-nihr-covid-19/ukri-nihr-covid-19-rolling-call/?_ga=2.186583657.1164498350.1594986614-294529872.1594986614. The funding calls and processes for Scancell, Oxford and Imperial have different requirements and are of different scales, therefore the timings required to make a proper and fair assessment should not be compared.

Vaccination: Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June 2020 to Question 59764 on Vaccination: Research, what progress the Vaccine Taskforce has made in accelerating vaccine development outside of Oxford and London.

Amanda Solloway: The Government is taking a portfolio-based approach that monitors the landscape of coronavirus vaccine development, both here in the UK and internationally. Our approach is to develop vaccine candidates across the main potential technologies, including adenoviral vaccines, mRNA and nucleic acid vaccines, adjuvanted protein vaccines and other approaches, including whole inactivated viral vaccines. We cannot comment on negotiations with industry at present because of commercial confidentiality, but will be announcing developments in due course.

Nuclear Fusion: Research

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department is providing to research on the use of dense plasma focus technology for nuclear fusion; and if he will make a statement.

Amanda Solloway: UK Research and Innovation supports research into fusion across the UK through its grants, with over £2.5 million going into dense plasma focus related research in the period 2017-21. The Government is interested in and is supporting research into all approaches to fusion. The Government champions and supports the role of the private sector in developing innovative technologies for clean energy generation, including fusion energy. We have recently announced £184 million for development of fusion related technology facilities, managed by the UK Atomic Energy Authority. We encourage private sector companies working in fusion and related fields to explore potential opportunities for collaboration with the UK Atomic Energy Authority and how they can benefit from these national assets.

Business: Coronavirus

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will provide further business support grants to businesses in (a) Blackpool and (b) the UK that do not know when they can reopen as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Paul Scully: The Government has announced an unprecedented package of support for businesses to help with their ongoing business costs in recognition of the disruption caused by Covid-19. This package of support includes the Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF) and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF). In addition, on 1 May, the Government announced that up to £617 million is being made available to Local Authorities in England to allow them to provide discretionary grants. These funds have supported many thousands of small businesses with their ongoing business costs in recognition of the disruption caused by Covid-19.  As of 13 July, local authorities have made grant payments to over 872,520 business premises, totalling £10.7 billion, under the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund (RHLGF). As of 13 July, Blackpool Council have made payments to 3,860 business premises, totalling £43,835,000, under the SBGF and the RHLGF. Officials are keeping in close contact with Local Authorities to understand how the schemes are rolling out and advising ministers on any additional support which could be offered to help businesses and support local economies.

Social Rented Housing: Energy

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to paragraph 2.54 of the July 2020 Plan for Jobs CP 261, what estimate he has made of the number of homes that will benefit from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Summer Economic Update announced £50m to demonstrate innovative approaches to retrofitting social housing at scale, accelerating the delivery of the Social Housing Decarbonisation. This will mean warmer and more energy efficient homes and could reduce annual energy bills by hundreds of pounds for some of the poorest households, as well as lowering carbon emissions. The Programme will be UK wide and will upgrade thousands of poor energy performing social homes, with high levels of energy efficiency (e.g. floor / wall insulation) and low carbon heating (where appropriate).

Personal Care Services: Coronavirus

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his Department has to review the date for resuming facial treatments in beauty salons as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Paul Scully: In my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s announcement on 17 July, close contact services including treatments to the face are allowed to resume as of 1 August, as long as they operate in a COVID-secure way.

Energy: Meters

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of Ofgem’s consultation entitled, Review of smart metering costs in the default tariff cap: May 2020 statutory consultation on the number of smart meters energy suppliers that can be installed; and how many Engineers would be required to undertake that work.

Kwasi Kwarteng: It is Ofgem’s legal duty to determine the methodology for calculating the price cap. In setting the cap, Ofgem’s duty is, among other things, to have regard to the need to ensure that suppliers who operate efficiently are able to finance activities authorised by their supply licence, such as smart meter installations.

Manufacturing Industries: Government Assistance

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on launching the Brunel challenge to support UK manufacturers in the (a) aerospace sector and (b) other high value manufacturing sectors.

Nadhim Zahawi: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave my Hon. Friend the Member for Filton and Bradley Stoke on 13 July 2020 to Question 71029.The Government recognises the value of British engineering capability and innovation. That is why we have already invested nearly £2 billion in the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme, providing advice on market opportunities and technology. We have also committed with industry around £1 billion through the Advanced Propulsion Centre, to research, develop, and commercialise the next generation of low carbon technologies to keep the UK at the cutting edge of low carbon automotive innovations. We are also supporting the innovation of digital design through the £147 million Manufacturing Made Smarter Challenge.At the last Budget, we set out plans for public investment in research and development to reach £22 billion each year by 2024/25, which is a record increase in spending.As part of the upcoming Spending Review we will consider proposals for this investment, of which the Brunel Challenge and slingshot is one of many.

Package Holidays

Christine Jardine: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he is taking steps to ensure that online travel operators will meet ABTA's 31 July 2020 deadline to issue cash refunds to customers for cancelled holidays; and what steps he plans to take to ensure compliance with the package holiday travel regulations by operators that do not issue cash refunds.

Paul Scully: Consumers are entitled to a full refund if a package holiday is cancelled due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, which should be issued within 14 days. The Government is clear that these refunds must be paid when asked for by the consumer. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued guidance to explain to consumers and business the circumstances when refunds are due as a consequence of the disruption caused by the Covid-19 outbreak. The CMA has a programme of work to ensure refunds arising from the Covid-19 outbreak are paid. If the CMA finds evidence that companies are failing to comply with the law, the CMA will take appropriate enforcement action, which could include taking a firm to court if it does not address its concerns. The CMA has also set up a Covid-19 taskforce for consumers to register complaints, available through: https://www.coronavirus-business-complaint.service.gov.uk/.

Housing: Insulation

Duncan Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether (a) wood fibre and (b) other sustainable insulation materials are permitted to be used for home insulation purposes under the terms of the Government's Green Deal scheme.

Kwasi Kwarteng: Under the Green Deal Framework (Disclosure, Acknowledgment, Redress etc.) Regulations 2012, installers are required to comply with the Green Deal Code of Practice. This does not proscribe any materials but requires that products and systems installed must comply with all legislation relevant to the testing, performance, certification and quality of the product or system. Installers must be certified by a UKAS-accredited Certification Body as meeting the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2030 for the measures they install.

Construction Talent Retention Scheme

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to paragraph 2.47 of the Plan for Jobs, published July 2020, how much funding he has allocated to the Construction Talent Retention Scheme.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Construction Talent Retention Scheme will support the redeployment of staff that are at risk of redundancy across the construction sector, while also enabling temporary employee loans between businesses. The Scheme will give displaced workers from other sectors a route to find new employment in construction.This not-for-profit Scheme will be funded by the Department until the end of the current financial year, with £1.164 million having been secured. The construction industry will provide funding to support the Scheme post-March 2021.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Apprentices

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to reach the public sector apprenticeship target.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department gives full regard to the public sector apprenticeship target. The Department, and each of the Executive Agencies that contributes to the Department’s target, have apprenticeship plans that focus on their specific capability needs and skills. Together, we are promoting apprenticeships as a means of recruiting new and diverse talent. This includes exploring which roles are suitable for apprentices, and broadening our reach by advertising apprentice vacancies on the Government’s ‘Recruit an Apprentice’ service. The Department also promotes and encourages apprenticeships as a route for existing staff to build capability and develop new skills. The Department, our Executive Agencies, and our wider public sector Partner Organisations, share our ideas and experience of delivering against the apprenticeship agenda, to build our apprentice numbers.  The Department offers a wide range of apprenticeships from Level 3 to Level 7. This week, our Permanent Secretary held a virtual “Meet and Greet” with apprentices, celebrating the great work that they do for the Department. We also celebrate the work of our apprentices and promote further use of apprenticeships through an annual Apprenticeship Awards ceremony.

Fuel Poverty: Kent

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many households in (a) Kent and Medway and (b) Canterbury district council area are affected by fuel poverty.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The latest sub-national fuel poverty statistics for 2018 show a) 68,000 households in Kent and Medway estimated as fuel poor, and b) 6,600 households in Canterbury.These figures are derived from Fuel Poverty Sub-regional tables at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sub-regional-fuel-poverty-data-2020.

Energy: Meters

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that energy suppliers have adequate funding to support his Department’s ambition to install a smart meter in every (a) home and (b) small business.

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of any reduction by Ofgem in the smart metering programme allowances under the default tariff cap on the (a) pace of the roll-out and (b) number of workers undertaking that work.

Kwasi Kwarteng: Since 2013, energy suppliers have been required to take all reasonable steps to install smart meters in homes and small businesses. How they plan for, manage and fund the activity needed to meet this obligation is a matter for individual energy suppliers. It is Ofgem’s legal duty to determine the methodology for calculating the price cap. In setting the cap Ofgem’s duty is, among other things, to have regard to the need to ensure that suppliers who operate efficiently are able to finance activities authorised by their supply licence, such as smart meter installations.

Social Rented Housing: Canterbury

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many social housing properties in Canterbury district council area have an EPC energy efficiency rating of (a) F and (b) G.

Kwasi Kwarteng: Estimates for the total number of homes by tenure and EPC energy efficiency rating for England are made using the English Housing Survey. Due to small sample sizes, these estimates cannot be made for local authorities. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-housing-survey-2018-energy-report

Personal Care Services: Coronavirus

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when covid-19 restrictions will be lifted to allow beauty salons to carry out facial procedures.

Paul Scully: In my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s announcement on 17 July, close contact services including treatments to the face are allowed to resume as of 1 August, as long as they operate in a COVID-secure way.

Labelling

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to bring forward (a) regulations and (b) legislative proposals to ensure that products offered for sale (i) online and (ii) in other markets are adequately labelled with their principal country of origin to enable shoppers to (A) buy British and (B) avoid purchasing from countries of which they disapprove.

Paul Scully: Aside from certain specified products (e.g. food), there is no requirement for goods to be labelled with their country of origin. We have no plans to introduce such a requirement. The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 bans traders from using misleading statements about the geographical or commercial origin of products.

Small Businesses: EU Grants and Loans

Kevin Hollinrake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to bring forward changes to the Undertaking in Difficulty rules.

Paul Scully: Although the UK has left the EU, under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement the EU State aid rules continue to apply in the UK until the end of the Transition Period. The rules are an exclusive competence of the European Commission and it is not within the power of the United Kingdom or any EU Member State to unilaterally vary or suspend them.  The Government has announced that following the end of the Transition Period, a new domestic subsidy control regime will replace the EU State aid rules. The treatment of firms in difficulty will be considered as part of the work to develop the new regime, which will also take into account, amongst other factors, the arrangements agreed under the Northern Ireland Protocol. Announcements on the new regime will be made in due course.

Future Fund

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish the criteria for allocating funding from the Future Fund.

Paul Scully: The eligibility criteria for the allocating of the Future Fund loans, and indeed all coronavirus loan schemes is freely available on the British Business Bank website:https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/ourpartners/coronavirus-business-interruption-loan-schemes/future-fund/.

Personal Care Services: Government Assistance

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to provide support to the aesthetic industry.

Paul Scully: Our approach to allowing businesses to resume activity is guided by the scientific and medical advice, and every step is weighed against the evidence, remembering that the more we open-up the more vigilant we will need to be. Making any changes depends on us continuing to meet the five tests, and the fifth test is informed by the Chief Scientific Adviser and Chief Medical Officer’s opinion. Where a business such as those in the aesthetic industries provides a mix of services, only those services that do not involve work in the highest risk zone – around the face – should be made available to clients. There is a much higher risk of transmission of the virus face-to-face and in very close proximity, such as facial treatments and make up services. The Government has introduced an unprecedented package of support for businesses which are facing difficulty as a result of the pandemic, including loan schemes, grant funding and wage packages. Businesses from most sectors including the aesthetic industry are able to access this support, provided they meet the eligibility criteria for the schemes for which they are applying.

Tide: Bounce Back Loan Scheme

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with Tide on its decision to suspend lending under the Bounce Back Loan scheme.

Paul Scully: The British Business Bank is in regular discussions with Tide and all parties are working to resolve the current situation.

Companies: Coronavirus

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2020 to Question 70388 on Companies: Coronavirus, what steps the Government plans to take to monitor whether companies borrowing through the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Scheme are (a) engaged in trading activity in the UK at the Initial Drawdown Date and (b) using that finance facility to support their trading activity in the UK.

Paul Scully: The Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Scheme (CLBILS) guidance makes it clear that the British Business Bank is not responsible for monitoring or verifying the use of any money advanced by accredited lenders to borrowers. It is the lenders responsibility to ensure that CLBILS facilities comply with the CLBILS eligibility criteria, which include (amongst others): That the relevant Applicant or Applicant’s Group is or will be engaged in Trading Activity in the United Kingdom at the Initial Drawdown DateThat the Proposed Scheme Facility will be used for an Eligible Purpose (which may include the refinancing of an existing Borrowing Facility used for an Eligible Purpose) and to support trading in the United Kingdom. If the facility was not eligible at the offer date then the lender would not be able to claim against the guarantee. The British Business Bank retains the rights to request information from accredited lenders in order to verify whether a facility was eligible on the offer date. Lenders undergo a review to test a sample of CLBILS facilities to ensure that processes are being followed in accordance with the agreement.

Economic Situation: Coronavirus

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department conducts equality impact assessments when making decisions on reopening sections of the economy as covid-19 restrictions are eased.

Paul Scully: Our work continues to be led by the science, so we do not put lives at risk.The Department has considered how decisions on reopening sections of the economy may affect people who are protected under the Equality Act, in fulfilment of its duty under the Public Sector Equality Duty.Our guidance emphasises that employers have a duty under UK law to protect the health and safety of their employees and other people who might be affected by their business. This includes considering the risks that COVID-19 represents. Nothing in this guidance affects employers’ existing responsibilities under employment and equalities legislation.

Hospitality Industry: Coronavirus

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has made to ensure that (a) banqueting halls and (b) wedding venues can reopen to serve food and entertainment whilst adhering to covid-19 guidelines; and whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential merits of allocating additional funding from the public purse to businesses in those sectors where adherence to those guidelines is not possible.

Paul Scully: The Government has provided an unprecedented package of financial support to help businesses across the country during the COVID-19 outbreak, including those in the weddings industry. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister has announced that from 1 August celebratory meals or receptions of up to 30 people for weddings and civil partnerships will be allowed to take place. Over time, we will assess whether gatherings of this type for other purposes can be made possible and when larger wedding receptions can take place. We continue to advise against live entertainment performances at weddings, due to the risks of people singing or shouting over loud music, which create risks of transmission.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Departmental Responsibilities

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps plans to take to ensure that (a) development and (b) humanitarian issues are represented at Cabinet level.

James Duddridge: Once the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is formally established in early September, the Foreign Secretary will represent the FCDO at Cabinet. Foreign and development policy will be fully integrated in all Ministers' portfolios in the new Department.

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what mechanisms are being put in place to ensure that British Arms exports are not being deployed by the Saudi Government in Yemen.

James Cleverly: To address the Court of Appeal's judgement, we have developed a revised methodology against which all existing and new applications for Saudi Arabia for possible use in the conflict in Yemen will be assessed to consider whether there is a clear risk the equipment might be used in the commission of a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law. If there is such a risk, we will not issue the export licence.

British Nationals Abroad: EU Countries

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that UK citizens visiting the EU will be able to (a) stay in the EU for 180 consecutive days a year and (b) receive equal treatment to EU nationals visiting the UK for the same period of time.

Wendy Morton: The Government has discussed mobility arrangements across a number of areas as part of negotiations on our future relationship with the EU, and these discussions are ongoing.The EU has already legislated such that UK nationals will not need a visa when travelling to the Schengen area for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This will apply from the end of the transition period to all UK nationals travelling to and within the Schengen area for purposes such as tourism.This is the standard length of stay that the EU provides to the nationals of eligible third countries that offer visa-free travel access for EU citizens, in line with existing EU legislation.As things stand, stays beyond the EU's 90/180 day visa-free allocation from 1 January 2021 onwards will be for individual Member States to decide and implement through domestic entry rules and visa arrangements for non-EU citizens. UK nationals will need to discuss the specifics of their situation with the relevant Member State authorities and should be prepared to provide any extra documentation that may be required.

Nigeria: Armed Conflict

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has plans to make representations to the UN Security Council on the deployment of peacekeeping forces to north-east Nigeria to protect vulnerable local communities in that country.

James Duddridge: The UK has no plans to make representations to the UN Security Council on the deployment of peacekeeping forces to North-East Nigeria as we do not assess their deployment to be the most effective way to tackle the conflict and create long term stability. We continue to support the affected nation states of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon to tackle the terrorist threat in North-East Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad Basin. We work closely with the UN to support the nations states' response and to support local communities. This includes support to the UN Development Programme stabilisation facility in North-East Nigeria and support to the work of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel. On 5 June 2020, we led a statement in the Security Council which reiterated our commitment to West Africa and the Sahel, including Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin. On 16 June 2020, we led a statement at the Security Council condemning the recent terror attacks in North-East Nigeria.

Colombia: Coronavirus

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 quarantine in Colombia on the safety and security of human rights defenders in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Wendy Morton: The UK remains concerned about the persistent level of violence towards human rights defenders in Colombia and we have noted indications that this may have worsened during the COVID-19 lockdown. We regularly raise this issue, as well as specific cases of concern, with the Colombian Government and in multilateral fora. We have also called on the Colombian Government to prioritise tackling and preventing this violence. Most recently, our Permanent Representative to the UN expressed our deep concern at the UN Security Council on 14 July. I also raised the issue during a phone call with Colombian Foreign Minister Claudia Blum on 2 June.Colombia is a UK Government "Human Rights Priority Country" and as such our Embassy in Bogota has provided significant programming to help at-risk human rights defenders. We will continue to raise our concerns with the relevant state actors in Colombia.

Colombia: Politics and Government

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Colombian counterpart on potential undermining of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace in Colombia.

Wendy Morton: President Duque's government has publicly committed to implementing the Peace Accords of 2016 in their entirety. In meetings with the President in London last year, the then-Foreign Secretary made it clear that the UK sees the transitional justice system, including the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, and the involvement of victims as vital elements of the 2016 accords. President Duque's signing of the transitional justice law last June was welcome, and we are pleased that the institutions established under that law have since begun their work.We continue to emphasise our support for transitional justice both with the Colombian government and in multilateral fora, including most recently at the UN Security Council on 14 July, where our Permanent Representative commended the institutions' quick adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic by moving their work online. We are aware that the parties to the Peace Accord would like the UN Verification Mission to take on a role verifying compliance with the sanctions handed down by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace. The UK has been publicly supportive of this.The UK Government has contributed over £26 million towards transitional justice mechanisms and victims of the conflict in Colombia since 2016.

Colombia: Politics and Government

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the he will make representations to the UN Security Council Mission of Verification to Colombia on the need for further support, resourcing and reporting to monitor the progress of Colombia’s National Commission of Security Guarantees.

Wendy Morton: President Duque's Government has publicly committed to implementing the Peace Accords of 2016 in their entirety. The UK will continue to support the Colombian peace process and to emphasise the importance of pressing ahead with work to consolidate peace and build stability. The UK remains concerned about the persistent level of violence towards human rights defenders, social leaders and former combatants in Colombia, and regularly presses the Colombian government to take further action to tackle this violence.We have consistently highlighted the need for an overarching public policy in Colombia to prevent this violence from taking place. This has included regularly highlighting the work of the National Commission on Security Guarantees, including most recently at the UN Security Council on 14 July, and calling on the government and civil society to make fuller use of it for this purpose. We will continue to work closely with the Colombian Government and civil society on the peace process and related matters.

Bahrain: Capital Punishment

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the decision by Bahrain’s Court of Cassation to uphold death sentences against Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa on 13 July 2020, if he will suspend Government support for (a) the Bahraini Special Investigations Unit, (b) the Ministry of Interior Ombudsman and (c) other Bahraini institutions accused of complicity in the torture of both men.

James Cleverly: We are deeply concerned that the death penalty verdicts imposed on Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa by Bahrain's Court of Cassation have been upheld. Lord Ahmad, who is the Minister of State responsible for human rights, reinforced this position in his tweet of 14 July. We have raised both cases at senior levels with the Government of Bahrain. The Bahraini Government is fully aware that the UK opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances, as a matter of principle.The UK welcomed the investigation by the Ombudsman and Special Investigation Unit into the cases of Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa, ultimately leading to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice ordering a retrial - a first in Bahrain.The UK is committed to supporting Bahrain's oversight bodies, including the Ministry of Interior Ombudsman and the independent Special Investigations Unit. We continue to believe that Bahrain is taking steps in the right direction to improve its record on justice and security issues. The support we provide to these bodies, including in partnership with the UN Development Programme contributing to their work to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 16 (strengthening institutions and increasing access to justice), contributes to the ongoing development of both their capacity and capabilities.

Bahrain: Capital Punishment

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the decision by Bahrain’s Court of Cassation to uphold death sentences against Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa on 13 July 2020, if the Government will take steps to increase transparency on the use of UK funding allocated to Bahrain under the Integrated Activity Fund.

James Cleverly: We are deeply concerned that the death penalty verdicts imposed on Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa by Bahrain's Court of Cassation have been upheld. Lord Ahmad, who is the Minister of State responsible for human rights, reinforced this position in his tweet of 14 July. We have raised both cases at senior levels with the Government of Bahrain. The Bahraini Government is fully aware that the UK opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances, as a matter of principle.Our assistance is designed to support Bahrain-led reform in areas including human rights. It is provided in line with international standards and fully complies with our human rights obligations and the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance process. Programmes are routinely monitored by officials and evaluated, by officials, on a regular basis to ensure that they are on track for delivery.

Pakistan: Capital Punishment

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Pakistani counterpart on (a) Shagufta Kauser, (b) Hussain Moosa and (c) other prisoners facing death sentences under blasphemy laws in that country.

Nigel Adams: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



We are concerned about the issue of blasphemy laws, which has affected both Muslims and non-Muslims. It is our longstanding policy to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We continue to closely monitor, the case of Shagufta Kausar and her husband Shafqat Emmanuel, whose appeal hearing is delayed until September due to court closures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.The UK Government regularly raise our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief and blasphemy laws at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan. Most recently, the Minister of State for South Asia and human rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised concerns on Freedom of Religion or Belief and the death penalty with Dr Mazari, Pakistan's Human Right Minister, on 15 July. Lord Ahmad also raised our concerns regarding the blasphemy laws, including the case of Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel, with Pakistan's High Commissioner to the UK, His Excellency Nafees Zakaria, on 23 June. The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Rehman Chishti MP, has also spoken to the Pakistani High Commissioner to the UK about Freedom of Religion or Belief.

Bahrain: Capital Punishment

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether British Embassy officials attended the trial of Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa in Bahrain on 13 July 2020; and what their assessment was of the decision to uphold their death sentences amid allegations of torture and due process violations.

James Cleverly: Due to public health precautions in place for COVID-19, British Embassy officials were unable to attend the Court of Cassation. We are deeply concerned that the death penalty verdicts imposed on Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa by Bahrain's Court of Cassation have been upheld. Lord Ahmad, who is the Minister of State responsible for human rights, reinforced this position in his tweet of 14 July. We have raised both cases at senior levels with the Government of Bahrain. The Bahraini Government is fully aware that the UK opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances, as a matter of principle.

India: Human Rights

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 29 October 2019 to Question 7221 on Kashmir: telecommunications, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of his Department sponsoring the India Global 2020 Week conference as a result of recent human rights violations.

Nigel Adams: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



The UK and India have a deep, mature and wide-ranging relationship. Our trade and investment partnership is thriving; we collaborate on defence and security and we have a shared commitment to tackling climate change. The Foreign Secretary was pleased to participate in India Global Week with many Ministerial colleagues to discuss a wide range of issues. We regard human rights as an important part of our broad relationship with India, and raise our concerns with the Government of India where we have them.

Kashmir: Politics and Government

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to his oral contribution of 30 June 2020, Official Report, column 149, what recent discussions he has had with his (a) Indian and (b) Pakistani counterparts on Kashmir in light of recent tensions in that region.

Nigel Adams: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



We regularly discuss Kashmir with the Governments of India and Pakistan. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary discussed Kashmir with his Indian counterpart on 20 April, and the Minister for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, discussed Kashmir with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights on 15 July.The longstanding position of the UK is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting political resolution on Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. We encourage both sides to engage in dialogue and find lasting, diplomatic solutions to maintain regional stability.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the passing of The Middle East Partnership for Peace Act 2020 by the US House Committee on Appropriations on peace in the Middle East.

James Cleverly: Peace will only come through negotiations between the parties, but international action has a role in facilitating progress. We welcome all efforts towards peace. The UK remains committed to the objective of to making progress towards a two-state solution. We support a negotiated settlement leading to a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state; based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, Jerusalem as the shared capital of both states, and a just, fair, agreed and realistic settlement for refugees.

Ukraine: Radicalism

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of white-supremacist violent extremism in Ukraine.

Wendy Morton: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ukraine: Radicalism

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the activities of neo-Nazi groups in Ukraine.

Wendy Morton: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has received representations on the Australian Border Agency and the ability of UK citizens with residency to leave that country; and if he will make a statement.

James Duddridge: The Foreign Secretary spoke to Australian Foreign Minister Payne on 21 May and 15 July to discuss our COVID-19 response, travel advice and other international issues. They agreed to work together to keep international routes open, as part of our wider efforts to help our respective nationals return home. The Government of Australia has set out guidance for residents wishing to leave including where exemptions are available. The British High Commission in Canberra and our network of consulates across Australia continue to support British nationals, seeking to come to the UK, including those with residency in Australia.

Integrated Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy Review

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans the Government has to undertake a consultation with (a) civil society and (b) development partners on the development of the Integrated Review.

James Cleverly: The Government paused its Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy in April due to the pressing need to focus on COVID-19. We have formally recommenced the Review, building on the work done since February.Our aim continues to be for an ambitious and bold Integrated Review that is guided by the UK's foreign policy and national security objectives.We will be engaging with Parliament, the Devolved Administrations, external experts and wider stakeholders with an interest in our nation's security and prosperity. This includes our allies and partners, building on our ongoing dialogue on COVID-19 response and recovery.The Government will conduct targeted engagement that will bring crucial external voices and expertise to bear in defining our ambition for the UK's role in the world and setting the country on the best possible trajectory to recovery from COVID-19.

Hong Kong: British Citizenship

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of people from Hong Kong who will not be eligible to apply for the Government's proposed bespoke immigration route for British Nationals (Overseas) passport holders but whose rights and freedoms remain threatened by the introduction of new national security legislation in Hong Kong.

Nigel Adams: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Nepal: Diplomatic Relations

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to maintain the UK’s diplomatic relationship with Nepal.

Nigel Adams: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



The UK and Nepal enjoy a warm and historic relationship that has been in place for over 200 years, underpinned by deep people-to-people connections through the important role of Gurkhas in the British Army and the contribution of the Nepalese diaspora in the UK. Building on the 2019 visit of PM Oli to the UK, recent months have seen significant levels of senior bilateral engagement on some of the most pressing international issues, including several Ministerial calls throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling the return of over 525 British Nationals stranded in Nepal by lockdown. In 2018/19 the UK invested over £80m in Nepal's development, including support to the healthcare sector, post-earthquake reconstruction, and security and justice reform. We were also honoured by the participation of Her Excellency President Bandhari in the Global Vaccine Summit last month. Finally, Nepal continues to be an important regional partner on climate issues as we prepare to host COP26.

Bahrain: Capital Punishment

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Bahrain Government on the death sentences of Mohammed Ramadhan and Husian Moos; and if the Government will cease to provide financial support to Bahrain in response to that country's breaches of human rights.

James Cleverly: We are deeply concerned that the death penalty verdicts imposed on Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa by Bahrain's Court of Cassation have been upheld. Lord Ahmad, who is the Minister of State responsible for human rights, reinforced this position in his tweet of 14 July. We have raised both cases at senior levels with the Government of Bahrain. The Bahraini Government is fully aware that the UK opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances, as a matter of principle.Our assistance is designed to support Bahrain-led reform in areas including human rights. It is provided in line with international standards and fully complies with our human rights obligations and the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance process.

India: British Nationals Abroad

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2020 to Question 63329 on India: British Nationals Abroad, what further recent consular support has been provided to UK nationals detained in India following their attendance at an event held in the Nizamuddin area of Delhi in March 2020.

Nigel Adams: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



We have maintained regular contact with the individuals, their families and lawyers, and with the Indian authorities on these cases. Some have now been released on bail and some have been authorised to return to the UK. As their legal cases progress we are tailoring our assistance to their needs, including liaising with the local authorities to arrange their repatriation to the UK.

Middle East

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2020 to Question 69487, if he will make it his policy to refer to the 1949 Armistice Line as the pre-1967 lines and not the 1967 borders.

James Cleverly: The UK's longstanding position on the Middle East Peace Process is clear: we support a negotiated settlement leading to a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state. We are clear that the borders should be based on the lines as they stood on June 4 1967 - the eve of the Six Day War - with equal land swaps reflecting the national, security, and religious interests of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. The UK supports UN Security Council Resolution 2334 which paved the way for agreed changes to the 1967 lines as part of a final status deal and as agreed by the parties.

Anoosheh Ashoori

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs,  pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2020 to Question 59445, what additional recent discussions he has had with his Iranian counterpart on the return of the detained British national Anoosheh Ashoori to the UK.

James Cleverly: The Government remains concerned about the welfare of British-Iranian dual nationals detained in Iran, including Anoosheh Ashoori. Iran does not recognise dual nationality and therefore does not permit access to British-Iranian detainees.We continue to urge the Iranian Government to immediately release all UK dual nationals arbitrarily detained in Iran - to enable them to return to their families in the UK.We continue to raise their cases at the most senior levels, and discuss them at every opportunity with our Iranian counterparts. Our Ambassador in Tehran consistently raises all of our dual national detainees cases with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Our Embassy in Tehran continues to request consular access to Mr Ashoori and we have been supporting his family since being made aware of his detention.

Iran: Detainees

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of reports from British-Iranian detainees in Tehran's Evin prison of serious human rights abuses and poor living conditions in that facility; and whether he plans to raise those reports with his Iranian counterpart.

James Cleverly: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department of Health and Social Care

Hospices: Coronavirus

Paul Bristow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether hospice (a) staff and (b) patients are eligible for antibody testing for covid-19.

Ms Nadine Dorries: We are rolling out millions of antibody tests to help us better understand how COVID-19 is spreading across the country which will be vital for future decisions about how to best control the virus.We are now testing National Health Service and care staff as well as patients where there is an identified clinical need. We expect that roll out will be expanded to other essential workers in due course.

Coronavirus: Contact Tracing

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department undertook a delivery model assessment to determine whether the private sector was best placed to operate test, track and trace services for covid-19.

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions officials in his Department have had with (a) NHS officials and (b) local authorities leaders prior to deciding to outsource the operation of covid-19 contact tracing to Serco.

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what procurement process his Department undertook prior to awarding the contract for operating covid-19 contact tracing services to Serco.

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons the contract for operating covid-19 contact tracing services was awarded to Serco.

Ms Nadine Dorries: A proportionate delivery model assessment was undertaken in the decision to outsource the services to the private sector. This assessment was influenced by the speed to recruit, volume of staff required and timescales in moving back to delivery business as usual public services. Discussions were held with various officials before the decision to outsource was made. It quickly became evident that the public sector could not stand 18,000 contact tracers within the required timescales. There was also a risk that as the country exited lockdown, public servants would need to return to business as usual which would not have been possible with 18,000 people released as contact tracers.The contract to Serco was a direct award under Lot 2 of Crown Commercial Service’s Contact Centre Services framework. All suppliers on Lot 2 were engaged with, in order to ascertain capabilities to meet the contract output specifications.

Protective Clothing: Hearing Impaired

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Government guidance will be issued to clinicians in healthcare settings to ensure that guidance on face masks does not make services inaccessible to D/deaf people who rely on lipreading.

Helen Whately: NHS England and NHS Improvement are aware of the issue and are working to provide solutions to address the needs of D/deaf people and people with complex needs including possible procurement of clear fronted masks.

NHS: Hearing Impaired

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department has made available for NHS staff who are D/deaf and rely on lip-reading, for whom guidance on face masks may be challenging.

Helen Whately: It is recognised that the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic can cause particular communication difficulties for d/Deaf staff and others who rely on lipreading and/or facial expressions for communication. Teams who work directly work with d/Deaf colleagues should be prioritised locally for the use of PPE which facilitates effective communication (including clear-fronted masks or hoods).NHS England and NHS Improvement are also working to source clear face masks for those members of staff and clinicians who need them.

Health Professions: Vetting

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason staff returning to medical practice and recruited to the track and trace service have to undergo two DBS checks.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 29 June 2020



Staff returning to medical practice through NHS England and NHS Improvement’s returner programme would have the relevant Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and onboarding checks undertaken, through NHS England’s third-party supplier (Capita).Recruitment of clinical staff to the NHS Test and Trace service is managed by NHS Professionals. NHS Professionals does make use of the DBS Update Service and for some staff joining NHS Test and Trace, the Update Service was used. Upon receipt of a DBS Disclosure, NHS Professionals’ compliance team would have assessed the disclosure and where appropriate, a check with the DBS Update service would have been completed, therefore avoiding the need to complete a repeat check.As NHS England and NHS Improvement is a separate entity from NHS Professionals, there may have been occasions where two DBS checks may have been required, as a DBS check cannot be transferred between organisations.

Eating Disorders: Children and Young People

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2020 to Question 58102 on Eating Disorders: Children and Young People, if he will provide further explanatory information on the statistical formulae used to determine the geographic distribution of that funding in (a) 2018-19 and (b) 2019-20 to 2023-24.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The additional funding for children and young people’s eating disorder services was added to the overall clinical commissioning group (CCG) funding and distributed using the main CCG allocation formula.The CCG allocation formula as a whole is based on a number of different components which, together, are intended to take account of the different aspects of healthcare need in a population, including mental health needs.The technical guide to CCG allocations explains how these formulae are developed and used. This can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/technical-guide-to-allocation-formulae-and-pace-of-change-for-2019-20-to-2023-24-revenue-allocations/

Cardiovascular System: Diseases

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of whether there is a backlog of appointments for people diagnosed with cardiovascular disease due to the covid-19 outbreak.

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the return of specialist lipid clinics after the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make extra resources available to manage the backlog of patient appointments as outlined in the HEART UK response to the Health and Social Care Committee Inquiry into Delivering Core NHS and Care Services during the Pandemic and Beyond.

Edward Argar: As we moved into the second phase of the National Health Service response to COVID-19, NHS England wrote to the service on 29 April to ask NHS local systems and organisations to step up non-COVID-19 urgent services as soon as possible. The reset of these services will be gradual, with full attention to infection prevention and control as the guiding principle. NHSE/I are working with regional systems, and have provided national advice on restoration of cardiac services. They will also monitor their capacity going forward through this next stage of restoration and recovery.The full letter to the system can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/04/second-phase-of-nhs-response-to-covid-19-letter-to-chief-execs-29-april-2020.pdf

Mental Health Services: LGBT People

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure equality in (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of mental health problems among the LGBT+ community.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Advancing mental health equalities is a priority outlined in the Mental Health Implementation Plan 2019/20 to 2023/24. All local health systems are expected to set out how they will specifically reduce health inequalities by 2023/24.To support local Sustainability and Transformation Partnership and Integrated Care System areas in addressing inequalities in access and outcomes for groups with protected characteristics, including LGBTQ+ communities, within their plans, NHS England and NHS Improvement commissioned the Advancing Mental Health Equalities Resource. The resource is a guide for local commissioners and providers to identify and address inequalities in mental health care and is available at the following link:https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-source/improving-care/nccmh/amhe/amhe-resource.pdfThe NHS Long Term Plan also set out a commitment that local Mental Health Support Teams which will be working with children and young people in schools and colleges will be trained to support the mental health needs of LGBTQ+ people.

Gender Recognition: West Midlands

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of mental health care provision for transgender people in the West Midands.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Advancing mental health equalities, is a priority outlined in the Mental Health Implementation Plan 2019/20 to 2023/24. All local health systems are expected to set out how they will specifically reduce health inequalities by 2023/24.Local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for commissioning health services which meet the needs of their communities. The majority of CCGs in the West Midlands are part of the Rainbow Badge initiative and actively encourage partners to engage as non-judgemental and inclusive places for people that identify as LGBTQ+. The CCGs are working with general practitioner practices and other partners, to ensure that people who identify as LGBTQ+ feel safe and supported when seeking out general medical care, including mental health support.All providers and commissioners in the West Midlands are committed to undertaking Equality Impact Assessments as part of the service redesign and planning process. CCGs make decisions within a formal commissioning cycle that includes population needs analysis and public engagement.

Abortion: Drugs

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that abortion pills to be taken at home are taken by the intended recipient.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that women who take abortion pills at home have not been coerced.

Helen Whately: Holding answer received on 30 June 2020



During a consultation prior to treatment commencing, women are clearly informed that medical abortion is a two-stage process which requires the administration of Mifepristone followed by Misoprostol to successfully complete the procedure.Safeguarding is an essential component of abortion services, and individual providers must ensure that all staff are trained in recognising signs of potential abuse and know how to respond in accordance with Required Standard Operating Procedure 7 and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists guidance.Abuse of the temporary measures by the passing on or selling of abortion pills remains unlawful and subject to criminal sanctions.

Contact Tracing: Hospitality Industry

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the Data Protection implications of requiring hospitality venues to collect customer information; and when the details of the design of such a data collection system will be set out to enable hospitality businesses to effectively plan their re-opening on 4 July 2020.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 01 July 2020



NHS Test and Trace is a key part of the country’s ongoing COVID-19 response. If we can rapidly detect people who have recently come into close contact with a person who is confirmed to have COVID-19, we can take swift action to minimise transmission of the virus. This is important as lockdown measures are eased and will help us return to a more normal way of life and reduce the risk of needing further lockdowns in the future. Hospitality businesses should assist this service by keeping a temporary record of their staff, customers and visitors for 21 days and assist NHS Test and Trace with requests for that data if needed.The Government has published guidance setting out the data that needs to be collected for Test and Trace purposes, and how organisations should do this in a way that respects people’s privacy and personal data, in line with the General Data Protection Regulation. The guidance is available at the following link:www.gov.uk/guidance/maintaining-records-of-staff-customers-and-visitors-to-support-nhs-test-and-trace

Contact Tracing: Hospitality Industry

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what training hospitality staff will be given on (a) GDPR procedures and (b) data collection when collecting names and addresses for covid-19 track and trace purposes.

Ms Nadine Dorries: NHS Test and Trace is a key part of the country’s ongoing COVID-19 response. If we can rapidly detect people who have recently come into close contact with a person who is confirmed to have COVID-19, we can take swift action to minimise transmission of the virus. This is important as lockdown measures are eased and will help us return to a more normal way of life and reduce the risk of needing further lockdowns in the future.The Government has published data that needs to be collected for Test and Trace purposes, and how organisations should do this in a way that is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Businesses should collect this information in a way that is manageable for them, and any training that is provided should reflect this – including maintaining compliance with GDPR.The guidance is available at the following link:www.gov.uk/guidance/maintaining-records-of-staff-customers-and-visitors-to-support-nhs-test-and-trace

Ipswich Hospital: Surgery

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of effect of the proposals to remove elective orthopaedic surgery from Ipswich Hospital on (a) Ipswich patients' ability to get to and from surgery at a new centre in Colchester and (b) the delivery of trauma services remaining at Ipswich Hospital.

Edward Argar: It is for local commissioners to determine how to best deliver services to meet local needs. It is right that decisions on local services and service models are made by local commissioners, who can best assess how to meet the needs of people in their area. For any significant system reconfiguration, we expect all local parts of the system to be talking to the public and stakeholders regularly — it is vital that people can shape the future of their local services.

Ipswich Hospital: Surgery

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of a two-site improvement option which would allow Ipswich Hospital to continue to provide orthopaedic surgery in proposals to remove elective orthopaedic surgery from Ipswich Hospital to a new centre in Colchester.

Edward Argar: It is for local commissioners to determine how to best deliver services to meet local needs. It is right that decisions on local services and service models are made by local commissioners, who can best assess how to meet the needs of people in their area. For any significant system reconfiguration, we expect all local parts of the system to be talking to the public and stakeholders regularly — it is vital that people can shape the future of their local services.

Social Services: Disability

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that disabled people have access to safe social care during the covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Whately: The Government’s number one priority for adult social care is that everyone who relies on care gets the safe care they need throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We have set out a comprehensive action plan to support the adult social care sector in England throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, including ramping up testing, overhauling the way personal protective equipment is being delivered to care homes and helping to minimise the spread of the virus to keep people safe.

Mental Health Services: Young People

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 20 of the NHS Mental Health Implementation Plan 2019/20 – 2023/24, whether baselines on access to mental health services for 18 to 25 year olds have been validated and published.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 07 July 2020



Under the NHS Long Term Plan, we are committed to increasing access and improving experience of care for 18-25 year olds. All sustainability and transformation partnerships have been asked to cross-validate data on baseline access for 18-25 year olds from the mental health services and Improving Access to Psychological Therapies datasets, against locally held data sources.The validation and analysis is ongoing and a baseline access rate has not yet been published.

Hyperactivity: Mental Health Services

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of adult ADHD services.

Helen Whately: Holding answer received on 07 July 2020



The Department has been working with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and their Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Implementation Working Group to look at how the current NICE guidance and quality standard on ADHD are being implemented and to identify and disseminate examples of best practice in respect of care and support for people with ADHD.NHS Digital continue to work with the Department and NHS England on how the collection of ADHD data, including data on diagnosis waiting times can be improved. Consideration is being given as to how collection of data on ADHD can be improved on a national level, including improving consistency and comparability of any data currently collected.

Hyperactivity: Mental Health Services

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to increase access to adult ADHD services.

Helen Whately: Holding answer received on 07 July 2020



The Department has been working with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and their Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Implementation Working Group to look at how the current NICE guidance and quality standard on ADHD are being implemented and to identify and disseminate examples of best practice in respect of care and support for people with ADHD.NHS Digital continue to work with the Department and NHS England on how the collection of ADHD data, including data on diagnosis waiting times can be improved. Consideration is being given as to how collection of data on ADHD can be improved on a national level, including improving consistency and comparability of any data currently collected.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the size of waiting lists for CAMHS services in (a) England and (b) Greater Manchester, and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Data on waiting list sizes is not available.

Serco

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Serco's sharing of 296 email addresses belonging to covid-19 contract tracers, for what reasons Serco was not required to refer itself to the Information Commissioner’s Office for that matter.

Ms Nadine Dorries: We understand Serco did report the data breach to the Information Commissioner’s Office.Serco also alerted the NHS Test and Trace service immediately. The breach was caused by including email addresses of new contact tracing recruits in the carbon copy (cc) rather than blind carbon copy (bcc) field. Serco apologised to staff affected and reminded colleagues of the need to always use the ‘bcc’ feature rather than ‘cc’ feature in future.Ensuring the privacy of users and security of their personal data is a priority for the National Health Service and the Government. We follow cyber security best practice to help protect this data and comply with the law around the use of data, including the Data Protection Act 2018.

Surgical Mesh Implants

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has taken steps as a result of the disclosure that a 2012 study published in European Urology which concluded that no patients were suffering thigh pain three years after their transobturator mesh procedures had received undeclared funding of £100,000 from one of the manufacturers of the mesh being analysed; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nadine Dorries: We cannot comment on individual cases and neither can the General Medical Council.

Clinical Trials: Standards

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) clinical trials and (b) market authorisations from the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency comply with European Medicines Agency standards in order to obtain approval for use in the EU market.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 09 July 2020



The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has taken pragmatic steps to ensure that the United Kingdom continues to have innovative and cost-effective treatments that benefit patients and boost growth in the life sciences sector. This includes limiting any additional cost or burden on industry by considering applications for marketing authorisations in the UK on the basis of information consistent with that being submitted to the European Medicines Agency (EMA).As for clinical trials, the MHRA will continue to approve applications at a national level, working to international standards as they are now, using a UK data package whose requirements are consistent with those in the European Union. The UK will still have the ability to participate in multinational trials, as, data generated in a UK clinical trial will continue to be admissible to support regulatory activity in the EU, and indeed globally. This ensures the UK remains an attractive location for trials to take place, with a view to getting medicinal products licensed in the UK and elsewhere.

Coronavirus: Screening

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Public Health England records the number of covid-19 test results that are lost; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Public Health England (PHE) does not record data on the number of COVID-19 test results that have been lost under either pillar 1 or the Government’s wider testing programme. PHE laboratories have processes in place to ensure that any results entered onto PHE systems with incorrect details for either the requestor (such as a clinician in a hospital) or the patient are identified and dealt with.

Hospitals: Coronavirus

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of using Nightingale hospitals in the winter in the event that further hospital capacity is needed.

Edward Argar: Nightingale hospitals have helped the National Health Service to rise to an unprecedented challenge by providing extra capacity to manage surges in demand due to COVID-19.We continue to work closely with the NHS and partners, and guidance has already been issued on restoring urgent non-COVID-19 services safely, whilst ensuring surge capacity can be stood up again if needed, including through the use of Nightingale hospitals.

LGBT People: Coronavirus

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has undertaken an equalities impact assessment of funding for mental health charities to expand support services during the covid-19 outbreak to ensure it meets the needs of LGBT people, Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, disabled people and people with other protected characteristics.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 13 July 2020



The Department has provided £5 million of grant funding to Mind and the Mental Health Consortia to distribute to mental health charities to support adults and children as part of a Coronavirus Mental Health Response Fund. We provided a further £4.2 million of grant funding directly to mental health charities. These investments are supporting a wide range of groups that include LGBTQ+, black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and people with disabilities.In providing grant funding, the Department ensures the Government’s duties under the Equalities Act 2010 are met to ensure we are taking into account the needs of a diverse range of groups. The Coronavirus Mental Health Response Fund also has an independently chaired governance group, including officials from the Department, which monitors the allocations from the Fund to ensure fairness and diversity.

Disability: Coronavirus

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when day centres and respite centres will be allowed to reopen to provide support to disabled individuals and their parents as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Helen Whately: We recognise the crucial role unpaid carers play, especially during the COVID-19 outbreak and the important role that day services play to provide care, and respite for carers.Decisions on the running and re-opening of day services are made on a local basis. The Social Care Institute of Excellence has worked with the Department, local government and other key sector partners, to produce guidance which will support local authorities and providers to restart day services. This was published on 10 July. In addition, Public Health England is developing guidance on the use of personal protective equipment in community settings, which will be applicable to day services.

Mental Health Services: Coronavirus

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to provide mental health support for (a) parents, (b) children aged 0-5, (c) children aged 6-12 and (d) children aged 13-17 who have spent additional time at home as a result of the covid-19 lockdown.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 14 July 2020



Mental health services have remained open for business throughout lockdown, and NHS England and NHS Improvement have asked mental health trusts to ensure they have 24 hours a day, seven days a week open access telephone lines in place for urgent National Health Service mental health support, advice and triage for all ages, including all children and young people. We have also taken steps to ensure that children and young people, and their parents and carers, have the tools and knowledge to protect their mental health. We have published guidance to parents and carers on children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, and we are promoting this through trusted channels like GOV.UK ad Every Mind Matters.

Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review: Government Responses

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral statement of 9 July 2020 by the Minister for Patient Safety on the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, Official Report, column 1147, what the timescale is for the Government's response to the Review's recommendations; what form that response will take; and whether he plans for that response to be subject to a debate on the floor of the House.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgical Mesh Implants

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department holds data on the number of victims of the vaginal mesh implants scandal that have undergone mesh removal surgery (a) within and (b) outside the NHS, and have subsequently found significant mesh residue that was overlooked during remedial surgery; what plans he has to certify NHS specialists as competent to undertake that surgery; and what steps he plans to take to reimburse the cost to victims of the mesh scandal who had to pay for private (i) therapy and (ii) surgery, as a result of a refusal by NHS specialists to accept that their symptoms were (A) physical rather that mental and (B) had been caused by their mesh implants.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgical Mesh Implants

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the vaginal mesh implants scandal, if he will take steps to ensure that the establishment of specialist treatment centres are multidisciplinary in order to permit an holistic approach to treatment and to avoid multiple referrals by GPs to (a) neurology, (b) orthopaedic, (c) rheumatology, (d) urology, and (e) other specialists lacking mesh-specific skills; and if he will ensure that NHS personnel previously involved in denying the harmful effects of vaginal mesh implants are excluded from staffing those remedial treatment centres.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgical Mesh Implants

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the vaginal mesh implants scandal, if he will take steps to require (a) medical personnel who are consultants to firms making medical products that they propose to use for their patients (i) declare their interest and (ii) draw their patients' attention to such a declaration when recommending the use of those products and (b) victims of that scandal of whatever age do not have to pay prescription charges for medication required to treat their resultant injuries and symptoms.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Overseas Aid: Females

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2020 to Question 63291 on Department of Health and Social Care: Overseas Aid, if he will list the Official Development Assistance funded programmes run by his Department which focus on supporting women and girls; what the budget was for each of those programmes in (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19, (c) 2019-20; and what the projected budgets are for 2020-21.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Doctors: Negligence

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to protect doctors from clinical negligence investigations arising from the need to work in different specialities to their own area of routine clinical practice during the covid-19 pandemic.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Doctors: Negligence

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to protect doctors from litigation arising from the need to work in different specialities to their own area of routine clinical practice during the covid-19 pandemic.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Workers: Coronavirus

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Social Workers Union's (SWU) Social Work’s Six-Point Urgent Action Plan published on 9 July 2020, what assessment he has made of the SWU finding that social workers have faced traumatic experiences during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Meat: Fraud

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many successful prosecutions there have been by each local authority for meat fraud in each of the last five years; what recent assessment he has made of the veracity of the sampling data submitted by local authorities to the UK Food Surveillance System; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Meat: Public Opinion

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the joint review by the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland on UK-wide meat, what steps he is taking to increase the level of public confidence in the safety and authenticity of UK meat.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Protective Clothing: Local Government

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2020 to Question 49702 on Protective Clothing: Local Government, how many items of personal protective have been delivered through the PPE Portal each week since April 1st 2020.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timeframe is for public health teams in local authorities to be provided with personable and identifiable (a) real time or (b) near real time testing data to enable a more timely response to localised outbreaks of covid-19.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to enable public health teams in local authorities to access data from primary care facilities recording patients with possible covid-19 symptoms to help with syndromic surveillance.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to increase the regularity of pseudonymised testing data made available to public health teams in local authorities.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Act 1983

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on reform the Mental Health Act 1983.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Act 1983

Kate Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government plans to bring forward legislative proposals to reform the Mental Health Act 1983.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Influenza: Vaccination

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of how many additional flu vaccines will be provided in the lead up to the 2020 Winter period compared to the number of such vaccines administered in 2019.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Internet

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will publish the number of views for the web page entitled NHS Get a coronavirus test for each day since that page was launched.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Day Care: Children

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that GPs complete health declaration forms required for people applying to set up childminding businesses.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Health Hazards

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the health risks of health declaration forms being completed in physical form during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to allow family visits to residential care homes in England as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Services: Coronavirus

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to allow charities and local authorities to resume in-person physical and mental health support sessions as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Genito-urinary Medicine: Equality

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the national sexual and reproductive health strategy takes into account (a) structural inequalities relating to and (b) social determinants of sexual ill-health.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people experiencing long-term effects of covid-19.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Air Pollution

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the safety of employees and customers in offices and shops at risk of contracting covid-19 as a result of increased exposure to PM2.5 fine particle pollution.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Hospitals: Discharges

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average number of people per day was that experienced a delayed discharge from hospital for (a) April, (b) May and (c) June 2020; and what the reason was for the delayed discharge.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Children and Young People: Coronavirus

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure that guidance issued by his Department in relation to covid-19 is (a) accessible by children and young people and (b) communicated to children and young people.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Act 1983

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals on reform the Mental Health Act 1983; and whether the needs of children will be included in those proposals.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Screening

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason covid-19 testing capacity data is not available at a local authority or city-wide level.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review: Sodium Valproate

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review by Baroness Cumberlege, what assessment his Department has made of the accuracy of the findings of that review in respect of sodium valproate.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Methadone: Prescriptions

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2020 to Question 61461 on Methadone: Prescriptions, what assessment his Department has made of the capacity of prescribers to safely electronically prescribe FP10 MDA opioid substitution therapy in England.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Protective Clothing: Procurement

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse has been of procuring personal protective equipment during the covid-19 outbreak; how many items of each type of equipment has been procured; and what proportion of that equipment has been sourced (a) in the UK and (b) from overseas.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Protective Clothing: Contracts

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many contracts to source personal protective equipment from (a) the UK and (b) overseas have been awarded to companies with no previous commercial relationship with the public sector.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Protective Clothing: Standards

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many pieces of personal protective equipment sourced from (a) the UK and (b) overseas during the covid-19 outbreak have been deemed to be (i) faulty and (ii) otherwise unfit for use.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Protective Clothing: Fraud

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the risk of loss to the public purse as a result of fraud during the procurement of personal protective equipment; and what plans he has put in place to mitigate that risk.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his oral contribution of 14 July 2020, Official Report, col 1409, when he plans to discuss the long-term effect of covid-19 on people who have contracted the virus with the hon. Member for Sefton Central.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Gloucestershire

Mr Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much additional funding has been allocated to the NHS in Gloucestershire for 2020-21 in response to the covid-19 outbreak, by NHS Trust.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Ethnic Groups

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what advice he is giving to other Departments on ways to reduce the increased risk covid-19 poses to black, Asian, and ethnic minority communities.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services: Coronavirus

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the financial recovery of mixed dental practices after the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Cancer: Coronavirus

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the provision and uptake of cancer services following the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Blood Cancer: Coronavirus

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the risk covid-19 poses to people with blood cancer.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Employment

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on establishing support packages for people shielding whose workplaces cannot be made covid-safe when shielding provisions end on 1 August 2020.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department of Health and Social Care: Apprentices

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reach the public sector apprenticeship target.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Workers: Pay

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to increase pay for social care workers.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Workers: Food Banks

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of social care workers using food banks.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has published on low-cost face coverings.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the scientific evidence used to inform his decision to end shielding for the extremely vulnerable during the covid-19 outbreak on 1 August 2020.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Services: Protective Clothing

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when wearing face coverings to attend (a) phlebotomy appointments, (b) GP surgeries, (c) outpatient clinics, (d) accident and emergency departments and (e) hospital wards will be made compulsory.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Blood Cancer: Coronavirus

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people with blood cancer are (a) shielding and (b) of working age.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish a substantive Answer to (a) Named Day Question 49568 on Diabetes: Coronavirus, (b) Named Day Question 49569 on Coronavirus: Screening tabled on 20 May 2020 and due for Answer on 2 June 2020 and (c) Named Day Question 59658 that was tabled on 16 June and was due for Answer on 22 June 2020 on the delay in answering Questions 49568 and 49569.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2020 to Question 46544, how many care home staff have been tested for covid-19 to date.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Protective Clothing: Shops

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference his oral contribution of 7 July 2020, Official Report, column 837, in light of the decision to require face masks to be worn in shops whether is plans to issue a badge or pass for people exempted from wearing a mask in shops or on public transport.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to undertake a public health campaign on (a) the need to wear face masks (i) on public transport and (ii) in shops and (b) the correct way to wear them.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Care Homes: Visits

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to issue guidance to residential care homes on visitor access to residents; and whether he plans to remove restrictions on care home visitors when shielding is lifted at the beginning of August 2020.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ovarian Cancer: Coronavirus

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to mitigate the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the (a) diagnosis and treatment of and (b) support for women with ovarian cancer.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Multiple Sclerosis

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people affected by secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Multiple Sclerosis: Diagnosis

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the diagnosis of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Multiple Sclerosis: Health Services

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to implement the recommendations of the report, The Forgotten Many: A 2020 Vision for Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, published in June 2020.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services: Coronavirus

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that dentists and dental staff are included in the antibody testing programme for NHS staff and providers.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services: Protective Clothing

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure dental practices have an adequate supply of personal protective equipment.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Psychiatric Hospitals: Discharges

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were discharged from mental health hospitals in each month in (a) 2019 and (b) 2020.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Breastfeeding: Coronavirus

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date breastfeeding support groups will be permitted to restart as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Services

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued on the resumption of face-to-face treatments for counselling and psychotherapy services; and how many such face-to-face treatments have been delivered in each month of the last 12 months.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Prescriptions

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consultation has taken place with (a) patients and (b) patient organisations on GP surgeries ceasing to take repeat prescription orders over the telephone from 1 September 2020; and  what impact assessment has been undertaken to ensure that people without access to online services are still able to receive their prescription medication after that date.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

P14 Medical: Protective Clothing

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria were applied when awarding contracts to P14 Medical in Stroud for the supply of PPE equipment to the NHS; and whether that procurement was the subject of a competitive tender invitation.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for International Development

Agriculture: Antibiotics

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take steps to ensure that UK Official Development Assistance programmes help developing countries reduce the use of antibiotics in farming.

James Duddridge: UK Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) supports developing countries to develop sustainable farming systems which are good for livelihoods, for human and animal health, and the environment, and which are resilient to climate change. This includes fostering the responsible use of antibiotics for animal health and welfare, while monitoring and preventing the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a top UK government priority.The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the interlinkages between the health of humans, animals and the environment. UK ODA promotes the importance of taking a One Health approach that addresses all three in an integrated manner for an effective and sustainable recovery.The Department of Health and Social Care’s Fleming Fund has provided over £9 million of funding to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) since 2016 to address AMR and support the appropriate use of antibiotics in farming in 12 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). UK ODA also funds the CGIAR AMR Hub (the global agricultural innovation network) that aims to develop One Health solutions to support LMICs in controlling agriculture-associated AMR risks.

British Indian Ocean Territory: English Language

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2020 to Question 69595, on British Indian Ocean Territory: Overseas Aid, how many Chagossians in Mauritius have participated in English Language Training to date.

Wendy Morton: Since the commencement of English Language Training in August 2019, 65 Chagossians have enrolled on training courses offered by the British Council. There have been 157 enrolments in total and with around 4,500 hours of language training provided up to the end of April 2020.

British Indian Ocean Territory: English Language

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2020 to Question 69595, on British Indian Ocean Territory: Overseas Aid, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of English Language Training on the livelihoods of Chagossians in Mauritius.

Wendy Morton: The British Council is still evaluating the impact of the English Language Training programme, a process which has been impeded by the COVID 19 outbreak. However, initial feedback from participants has indicated strong appreciation of the opportunity, including for some participants learning to read and write for the first time.

Non-governmental Organisations: Overseas Aid

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to support NGOs that have experienced a significant decline in private funding as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.

Wendy Morton: We are working flexibly with existing civil society partners to respond to the pandemic, maintain delivery of essential programmes and manage the impacts on organisations and staff.DFID is offering support to all suppliers, including civil society, in line with the provisions of the Cabinet Office Procurement Policy Note and associated guidance for grants. This allows for relief on services and goods provided in the UK, to DFID aid programmes as a last resort and on a case-by-case basis for DFID contracts and grants. UK-based Non-Government Organisations are also eligible for the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Females: Equality

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that older women are included in the implementation of the Strategic Vision for Gender Equality by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Wendy Morton: The Strategic Vision for Gender Equality is DFID’s guiding document on gender equality and it reflects and responds to the UK Government’s ambitions on this agenda. This includes our commitment to Leave No Girl or Woman Behind, which recognises that older women face multiple exclusions and experience a range of complex barriers to accessing services. COVID-19 has thrown into sharp relief the vulnerability of older people to shocks and brought to the forefront the important roles they play in society. As part of the DFID-FCO merger discussions, we will refresh and build on existing strategies, as well as develop new approaches. Advancing gender equality and women’s rights are a core part of this Government’s mission. The Government remains steadfast in its commitment to this agenda.

Israel: Palestinians

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department is providing to coexistence projects in Israel-Palestine.

James Cleverly: Our people to people programme aimed to foster cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians on issues that can have a positive impact on both communities and build understanding between people on both sides of the conflict, helping build support for a peaceful, negotiated resolution. This programme ended in March 2020.The programme’s research component will analyse the impact of people-to-people work, building an evidence base which will inform any future work in this area.

Overseas Aid

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2020 to Question 67777 on Overseas Aid, what the value is of the allocations that have been made from the £200 million un-allocated component of the ODA Crisis Reserve in 2020-21 so far; to what programmes that funding has been allocated; and whether any of the £300 million re-deployable component of the ODA Crisis Reserve has been redeployed.

Wendy Morton: The UK ODA Crisis Reserve is an annual allocation of £500 million. This consists of a £200 million un-allocated reserve and a £300 million re-deployable reserve.We used initial the £200 million to respond to COVID-19. We have now replenished this through using the redeployable element of the reserve. To date DFID Secretary of State has approved a total of £5 million from the 2020/21 ODA Crisis Reserve. The £5 million was approved by DFID SoS in February 2020 to the World Health Organisation to provide resilience to vulnerable countries in response to the global pandemic (£10 million approved from 19/20 crisis reserve and £5 million from 20/21 crisis reserve).

Department for International Trade: Public Expenditure

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the value of promissory notes her Department planned to issue in 2020-21 was for (a) each institution at the Main Estimate stage in 2020 by date to each institution; and the planned value of promissory note issuance is by institution for the remainder of the calendar year 2020.

Wendy Morton: DFID uses promissory notes with organisations such as international development banks. A promissory note allows that organisation to commit to an activity in full, in advance of funding being transferred.DFID’s made no adjustment at Main Estimates 2020-21 to the Net Cash Requirement as a result of Promissory Notes.

Overseas Aid

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department plans to allocate the match funding to her Department's partners in compliance with the Aid Match agreements that have been agreed.

Wendy Morton: All government departments are working through how their plans will need to change in light of the risk of a significant recession this year. DFID is no exception. The Government’s 0.7% GNI target is directly linked to the performance of the UK economy. No decision has been taken, but we are considering the full range of our work. In the short term, we have paused new financial arrangements while we agree our future work in close cooperation with other aid spending Departments.

Department for International Trade: Annual Reports

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when her annual report will be laid before the House as required by the International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Act 2006.

Wendy Morton: DFID’s Annual Report and Accounts 2019-20 will be laid in Parliament and published on gov.uk on 21 July 2020.

Overseas Aid: Cost Effectiveness

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government will take to ensure that Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office expenditure on Official Development Assistance is subject to independent review as required under the provisions of the International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will be accountable to parliament for how it spends UK aid. We remain committed to full transparency in our aid spending and there will continue to be parliamentary and independent scrutiny of the aid budget – the form this takes following the merger will be set out in due course.

Equality: Females

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government has taken to (a) embed gender equality and (b) empower women through UK Official Development Assistance in the new Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

Wendy Morton: Advancing gender equality and women’s rights are a core part of this Government’s mission, and vital to fulfilling every girl’s right to 12 years of quality education. The Government remains steadfast in its commitment to this agenda.We remain committed to spending 0.7% of Gross National Income on development. The UK International Development Act (Gender Equality) 2014 also makes a consideration of gender equality in all UK Overseas Development Assistance a legal requirement.The Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy is expected to conclude later in the year. This will define the Government’s ambition for the UK’s role in the world and its outcomes will shape the objectives of the new Department, including on gender equality and women’s rights. Both the review and the merger are evidence of the Prime Minister’s commitment to a unified British foreign and development policy that will maximise our influence around the world.

Developing Countries: International Assistance

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of progress towards meeting Millennium Development Goal 8 and towards the development of an open trading system and debt relief in low income countries.

Wendy Morton: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) expired in 2015 and were replaced by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UK is committed to the SDGs and last year published a Voluntary National Review of progress to date.COVID-19 poses real risks to eroding progress on the SDGs and there is a need to accelerate global action to reach the Goals by 2030. The UK, G20 and Paris Club, will suspend up to $12 billion of debt repayments from the poorest countries due this year under the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative. The UK has also committed up to £150 million to the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust, to fund the poorest countries’ debt repayments to the IMF.The UK is also committed to supporting developing countries to integrate into the rules based international system so as to benefit from free and open trade. Our Trade Advocacy and Investment Fund supports low income countries to participate fully in WTO negotiations. More broadly, our Aid for Trade portfolio supports developing countries to benefit from WTO Agreements and open trade, including our major contribution to the Enhanced Integrated Framework.

Department for International Development: Public Expenditure

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2020 Question 67776 on Department for International Development: Public Expenditure, when her Department's Annual Report and Accounts 2019 to 2020 will be published.

Wendy Morton: DFID’s Annual Report and Accounts 2019-20 will be laid in Parliament and published on gov.uk on 21 July 2020.

UNRWA: Finance

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what her Department's policy is on funding for UNRWA.

James Cleverly: The UK is a long-term supporter of UNRWA as a vital humanitarian and stabilising force in the region. We recognise UNRWA’s unique mandate from the UN General Assembly, to protect and provide protection and core services to Palestinian refugees across the Near East.The UK provides multi-year funding to UNRWA. Our contribution to UNWRA will help to provide basic education to more than 533,000 children a year (half of which are girls), access to health services for 3.5 million Palestinian refugees and social safety net assistance for around 255,000 of the most vulnerable.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of the £160 million funding for humanitarian aid pledged by the UK at the United Nation’s Yemen Pledging Conference in Riyadh on 2 June 2020 has been paid to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

James Cleverly: The UK’s £160 million funding will be delivered through a range of UN agencies and aims to provide support to at least 300,000 vulnerable people each month to help them buy food and household essentials, treat 40,000 children for malnutrition and provide 1 million people with improved water supply and basic sanitation.The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is one of the UK’s partners in Yemen. We currently support the Cash and Markets Working Group coordinator and stand ready to consider support to the OCHA led Yemen Humanitarian Fund when an allocation round is announced.

Developing Countries: Sustainable Development

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to Recommendation 12, paragraph 45 of the 12th Report of the International Development Committee of Session 2017-19, on the UK's progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Voluntary National Review, HC 1732, if the Government will take the opportunity of the merger of her Department with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to review the location of responsibility for leading and reporting on the UK’s domestic performance against the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Wendy Morton: The UK remains committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the SDGs will play an important role in collective approaches to post-COVID-19 recovery. Responsibility for the oversight of the SDGs will need to be considered in the round as part of the formation of the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Notwithstanding this, all government departments have responsibility for the aspects of the SDGs that relate to their respective policy responsibilities.

Department for Education

Universities: Coronavirus

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Institute for Fiscal Studies report entitled, Will universities need a bailout to survive the COVID-19 crisis, published 6 July 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Vicky Ford: The government recognises that the COVID-19 outbreak has brought significant financial challenges to the higher education (HE) sector, with losses of income across teaching, research, commercial and other activities, as published in the Institute for Fiscal Studies report on 6 July 2020. The government has already provided significant support to help providers through the financial challenges that COVID-19 has brought upon the sector. The HE package that we announced on 4 May, with its reprofiling of public funding and measures on admissions, has acted to stabilise the situation in England.In June, we announced further UK-wide support in the form of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s research stabilisation package. Alongside this, eligible HE providers can apply for the range of business support measures that the government has put in place to support our whole economy.We recognise, however, that a high level of uncertainty remains around the scale of problems that HE providers, as a whole and individually, may face in the coming academic year. We need to be able to intervene, where there is a case to do so, to support providers whose future is at risk because of the financial impacts of COVID-19.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced further information about the higher education restructuring regime on 16 July. This will be deployed as a last resort, if a decision has been made to support a provider in England, when other steps to preserve a provider’s viability and to mitigate the risks of market exit have not proved sufficient. The overarching objectives that will guide the department’s assessment of cases will be protecting the welfare of current students, preserving the sector’s internationally outstanding science base and supporting the role that higher education providers play in regional and local economies through the provision of high quality courses aligned with economic and societal needs.Financial support in the form of repayable loans will only be offered as a last resort measure, and with specific conditions, such as tackling low quality courses and reducing excessive Vice-Chancellor pay.Details on the higher education restructuring regime can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-restructuring-regime.

Teachers: Coronavirus

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether teachers will be given access to weekly covid-19 diagnostic testing from September 2020.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether teachers will be given access to covid-19 antibody tests from September 2020.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of providing anti-body tests to all staff working in schools.

Nick Gibb: Testing for COVID-19 is most effective for those who are experiencing symptoms. The test is less likely to pick up a positive case in someone who is not displaying symptoms, meaning that there is a risk of providing false reassurance. Routine asymptomatic testing is in place in environments where the risk of transmission is higher, such as hospitals and adult care homes. There are no plans to extend this to schools. As essential workers, teachers and all staff working in education or childcare have priority access to a test if they display symptoms of COVID-19.In order to determine the role that antibody tests could play in the response to the outbreak, we need a greater understanding of how the immune system responds to the virus. For example, it is not currently known how long an antibody response to the virus lasts, nor whether having antibodies means a person cannot be re-infected or transmit the virus to others. The Government will make decisions about any expansion of antibody testing based on the science as it becomes clear.

Schools: Coronavirus

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2020 to Question 70510 on Schools: Coronavirus, if he will make emergency funding available to schools that have been affected financially by the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb: We are providing additional funding to schools, on top of existing budgets, to cover unavoidable costs incurred between March and July due to the COVID-19 outbreak that cannot be met from their existing resources.Schools are eligible to claim for: increased premises related costs associated with keeping schools open over the Easter and summer half term holidays; support for free school meals for eligible children who are not in school, where schools are not using the national voucher scheme; and additional cleaning costs required due to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases, over and above the cost of existing cleaning arrangements. Schools are able to claim online until 21 July, and a second claims window will run in the autumn.Where schools have members of staff delivering services funded from self-generated income, we have advised that they should first look to redeploy these staff or use existing budgets to absorb the cost. After having looked at all other options, schools have been able to consider using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.Schools will continue to receive their budgets for the coming year, as usual, regardless of any periods of partial or complete closure. That will ensure that they are able to continue to pay their staff, and meet their other regular financial commitments.

After School Clubs: Coronavirus

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the covid-19 outbreak, whether out-of-school clubs not based on school premises will be permitted to (a) operate and (b) look after children from different schools from September 2020.

Nick Gibb: As of 4 July, those offering out-of-school activities to children, including those not based on school premises, have been able to open for both indoor and outdoor provision with safety measures in place. The Department has published guidance for providers of these activities on the measures they should put in place to ensure they are operating as safely as possible, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings. Out-of-school provision will continue to be permitted to operate during the autumn, and we will provide further guidance on the protective measures they should put in place in the autumn as soon as possible.

Disabled Students' Allowances: Wirral

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students are in receipt of assistive (a) hardware and (b) software technology through the Disabled Students' Allowance in (i) Wirral and (ii) Wallasey.

Michelle Donelan: The Student Loans Company does not distinguish between hardware and software within Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA). These would both be grouped under the DSA equipment allowance. Therefore, it is not possible to separately identify the number of students who are in receipt of assistive hardware and assistive software technology through the DSA.The number of students who were in receipt of assistive technology through the DSA equipment allowance in the 2018-19 academic year are:i. 92 students whose home address is registered as Wirral; andii. 35 students whose home address is registered as Wallasey.Figures are not yet available for the 2019-20 academic year.

Erasmus+ Programme

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answers of 12 June 2020 to Questions 56134 and 56135 on Erasmus+ programme, what progress her Department has made on the development of a domestic alternative to Erasmus+.

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answers of 12 June 2020 to Questions 56134 and 56135 on the Erasmus+ Programme, what steps he has taken to consult on the development of a domestic alternative to Erasmus+ scheme; and with whom he has held those consultations with.

Vicky Ford: In the event that the UK does not participate in the next Erasmus+ programme (2021-27), departmental officials have been preparing a UK-wide domestic alternative scheme should we need to have a contingency measure. As this scheme is still being developed and negotiations with the EU on UK participation in the Erasmus+ programme are ongoing, it is too early to set out the exact details of the scheme. However, I have discussed the development of the domestic alternative with my ministerial counterparts in the devolved administrations and hosted a roundtable in March with a range of higher education and further education stakeholders including representative and mission groups and Vice-Chancellors.Departmental officials have also been engaging with officials in the devolved administrations as well as sector bodies and institutions through a series of roundtables and interviews so far, speaking to representatives from across the education sector in all 4 nations to understand their views and ensure that this scheme can deliver a world-leading exchange programme.

Disability and Special Educational Needs: Young People

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Children’s Services Development Group’s report entitled Destination Unknown: Improving transitions for care leavers and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, published February 2020, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recommendations of that report on supporting vulnerable young people to successfully move into adulthood.

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the support available to young people with special educational needs and disabilities to ensure they make a successful transition into adulthood; and whether he will include an assessment of that support in his Department's review of support for children with special educational needs.

Vicky Ford: It is a priority for the department to improve the outcomes of care leavers and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The SEND Code of Practice explicitly states that all children and young people with SEND should be prepared for adulthood and that this preparation should start early. For those with an education, health and care plan, there must be a focus from year 9 onwards on this preparation as part of their plan’s annual review. Planning for the transition to adulthood should result in clear outcomes being agreed that are ambitious and stretching.The SEND Review is considering how the support system operates to prepare children and young people for adulthood, including employment.Since launching the cross-government Care Leaver Strategy, we have implemented a wide range of measures to improve care leavers’ outcomes, including ones which address the concerns highlighted by the Children’s Services Development Group’s report.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has established a ministerial board, co-chaired by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The board met for the first time on 13 July and brought together ministers from across the government to consider what more their departments can do to support care leavers. The next meeting of the board will be in the early autumn.

Special Educational Needs: Young People

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of 19 to 25 year-old students with an education, health and care plan were provided with a further education place in the academic years (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18, (c) 2018-19 and (d) 2019-20.

Vicky Ford: The number of 19 to 25 year olds with an education, health and care (EHC) plan participating in further education at any point in the given academic year is presented in the table attached. This is collected in the individualised learner record. The proportion of all 19 to 25 year olds with EHC plans is not available as comparable age bands are not available.The number of young people aged 16-19 and 20-25 with an EHC plan is available in the ‘Education, health and care plans’ publication at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans.Figures presented are as at January in the academic year.



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Sports: Coronavirus

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that schools and venues with shared sports facilities are able to reopen safely as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Nick Gibb: As announced on the 9 July, indoor gyms, tennis courts and fitness and dance studios will be able to reopen from 25 July. This includes facilities shared with schools. Out-of-school settings which run community activities, holiday clubs, after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school provision for children can operate over the summer holiday, with safety measures in place. Providers of these settings have been able to open from 4 July, provided that they follow the protective measures set out by Government. Out-of-school settings should check the latest government guidelines (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance) on which businesses and venues can open and for which purposes as some premises may only be able to open for certain limited purposes. Out-of-school provision cannot use indoor gyms, tennis courts and fitness and dance studios until they reopen on 25 July. Protective measures guidance for out-of-school settings, to enable them to operate as safely as possible, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak. Providers who offer indoor sports activities for children should also refer to the guidance on Keeping workers / volunteers and customers safe during COVID-19 for providers of grassroots sports and gym / leisure facilities. Guidance to support schools to deliver safe physical education lessons, sport and physical activity is included within the guidance for full opening (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools). Schools have the flexibility to decide how physical education, sport and physical activity will be provided whilst following the measures in their system of controls. The Association for Physical Education has published guidance (https://www.afpe.org.uk/physical-education/wp-content/uploads/COVID-19-Interpreting-the-Government-Guidance-in-a-PESSPA-Context-FINAL.pdf) for the education-based workforce and Youth Sport Trust has published resources (https://www.youthsporttrust.org/coronavirus-support-schools) on the principles of teaching PE in response to COVID-19.

GCE A-Level: Ethnic Groups

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the difference between (a) predicted and (b) achieved A-level grades by ethnicity in each year since 2015.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of published data collection on achieved grades against predicted grades for (a) GCSEs and (b) A-Levels by demographic group; and what steps his Department is taking to improve such data collection increase transparency to combat unconscious bias.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions his Department has had with UCAS on the publication of historic data tables of achieved grades against predicted grades by demographic group.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions his Department has had with UCAS on the (a) role of unconscious bias in predicted A-Level grades and (b) potential effect of unconscious bias in those grades on trends in admissions statistics in relation to (i) socio-economic background, (ii) race, (iii) gender and (iv) disability.

Michelle Donelan: The data that has been collected by UCAS on the relationship between predicted and achieved grades relates only to those who apply to higher education using UCAS.There is no published data on predictions for GCSEs.UCAS published a report on the factors that are associated with the differences in predicted and achieved A level attainment in 2016 examining the predictions and results for 600,000 English 18 year old applicants between 2010 and 2015 with three or more A levels.The report is available here: www.ucas.com/file/71796/download?token=D4uuSzur.Black applicants were proportionally 19% more likely to be overpredicted compared with White applicants. Disadvantaged applicants (measured using POLAR) were 5% more likely to be overpredicted compared with the most advantaged applicants.We have not had discussions with UCAS about historic data tables of achieved grades against predicted grades by demographic group. UCAS have published data on the differences in predicted and achieved A level points for 18 year old UK applicants with at least three predicted A level grades. The data is available from 2010 and by gender, domicile, disadvantage and ethnicity.In the 2019 application cycle, of UK 18 year old applicants with at least three predicted A levels who were accepted onto a place, 79% of predicted grades were overpredicted and 8% underpredicted.The data is available here: www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-sector-level-end-cycle-data-resources-2019We have had no recent discussions with UCAS about the potential role of unconscious bias in predicted A level grades, as this would not be a matter they could control. We have had extensive discussions with Ofqual about this matter and Ofqual publications set out how it has been taken into account in the development of the calculated grades being awarded this summer.

Teachers: Ethnic Groups

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to recruit more teachers from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds.

Nick Gibb: In October 2018, the Department set out its commitment to increasing the diversity of the teaching workforce across all protected characteristics when it launched the Statement of Intent.This commitment to increasing teacher diversity was made alongside 10 co-signatories from the sector (including unions and grassroots organisations) who set out their own individual commitments.The Department has been making progress against its commitments, including:Providing £2m of funding to nationwide Equality and Diversity regional ‘hubs’ to support aspiring leaders into headship. The hubs focus on providing coaching and mentoring to increase representation across all protected characteristics in senior leadership roles.Reflecting the importance of diversity in the Department’s Recruitment and Retention Strategy published in January 2019 to ensure people from all backgrounds are supported and that barriers to their progression are removed.Ensuring that recruitment for National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) is representative through key performance indicatorsContinuing to engage with signatories of the statement, including through holding a roundtable to gather progress updates and showcase best practice in July 2019. We have made significant progress in improving the diversity of postgraduate initial teacher training participants. Those belonging to a BAME group (i.e. any non-White ethnicity) made up 19% of all postgraduate entrants in 2019/20, up from 18% last year and 14% in 2015/16.

Higher Education: Coronavirus

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to support the higher education sector in England during the covid-19 outbreak; and what consequential effect that support has on the Scottish higher education sector.

Michelle Donelan: On 4 May 2020, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced a package of measures to protect students and higher education providers in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This package was designed to stabilise university finances, including tuition fee income resulting from admissions, and to support our world-class higher education system to continue to deliver for all students and the wider economy. Details of the package can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-support-package-for-universities-and-students.Furthermore, building on the stabilisation package and access to business support schemes, the government has also announced a further package of support to research within universities, including universities across Scotland. This includes £280 million of government funding as well as a package of low-interest loans with long pay-back periods, supplemented by a small amount of government grants. In sharing responsibility for the future of science and research with our world-leading university system, the government will cover up to 80% of a university’s income losses from international students for the academic year 2020/21, up to the value of their non-publicly funded research activity.On 16 July, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced the higher education restructuring regime, of which details can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-restructuring-regime.This will be deployed as a last resort, if a decision has been made to support a provider in England facing severe financial difficulties related to the COVID-19 outbreak, when other steps to preserve a provider’s viability and mitigate the risks of provider failure have not proved sufficient.The UK government has invited ministers in the the Scottish government, the Welsh government and the Northern Ireland Executive to opt into the regime on behalf of higher education providers in their respective territories. Throughout the development of the higher education stabilisation package, we have shared our approach and thinking with the devolved administrations through regular engagement at a ministerial and official level.There are several elements to the higher education stabilisation package which are applicable in Scotland, including temporary student number controls which apply to English-domiciled students studying at higher education providers in all devolved administrations; Clearing Plus, which applies to all UK higher education providers using UCAS; the International Education Strategy, including communications to prospective international students; and the Ministerial Taskforce on university research sustainability, which includes representation from the Scottish government. This is in addition to the UK-wide government support schemes such as the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CIBLS) and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).Education in the United Kingdom is a devolved matter, so England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland each have their own education system. The UK government is responsible for England, whilst the Scottish government, the Welsh government and the Northern Ireland Executive are responsible for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, respectively.

GCSE

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has he made of the effect on the mental well-being of home-schooled children of those children being unable to receive predicted grades for GCSE’s.

Vicky Ford: We appreciate that many private candidates will be concerned about their GCSE results. We know that the COVID-19 outbreak is likely to affect the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, including in the longer term.We have been working with health partners such as Public Health England and Health Education England to provide resources and guidance to support and promote the mental health of children and young people during the COVID-19 outbreak. We have signposted resources on supporting and promoting mental wellbeing in the list of resources to help children who are learning at home. The government has also provided additional funding to mental health charities to adapt, expand and reach out to those children who are most vulnerable. The list of resources is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-online-education-resources#mental-wellbeing.The Ofqual guidance for teachers, students, parents and carers explains the options available for private candidates to be awarded grades this year. Ofqual has asked organisations that represent further education providers to consider steps that they could take when making admissions decisions this summer for any private candidates who do not receive a grade. We understand that institutions will consider a range of other evidence and information for these students to allow them to progress wherever possible. The Ofqual guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awarding-qualifications-in-summer-2020.There will be an opportunity for students to sit exams in the autumn term, if they feel their calculated grade does not reflect their ability.

Parents: Advisory Services

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department taken to ensure greater accessibility to support and guidance for parents with children under five years old.

Vicky Ford: It is vitally important that we do all we can to help parents to support their children’s learning at home during the COVID-19 outbreak.We know that the Home Learning Environment is crucial for child development. There are a wealth of resources available for parents which can be accessed through the government’s Hungry Little Minds website which can be found at: https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/.We are working with our partners to ensure that we give parents the best support we can to help their children’s learning at home. We have also published guidance for parents about how to support their child’s development at home during the COVID-19 outbreak which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/help-children-aged-2-to-4-to-learn-at-home-during-coronavirus-covid-19. Guidance for parents and carers on the opening of early years settings is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.

Free School Meals: Voucher Schemes

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of profit made by Edenred through its delivery of the free school meals voucher scheme since the start of that scheme.

Vicky Ford: The department made an award of a contract to Edenred pursuant to Regulation 32(2)(c) Public Contracts Regulations 2015 to provide extremely urgent deliverables as part of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The contract was let as a direct award using the terms of an existing Crown Commercial Service framework. The department do not comment on the commercial arrangements of third parties but can confirm that we are only paying for the face value of goods delivered, which in this case is vouchers.

Schools: Discrimination

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will issue guidance to schools (a) recommending that the six thinking hats technique is not used in schools and (b) noting the potential effect of identifying a black hat on unconscious negative bias relating to the use of the word black.

Nick Gibb: All state-funded schools in England have a duty to teach a broad and balanced curriculum that prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences of later life. Under the Equality Act 2010, schools must also not discriminate against a pupil in a number of respects because of a characteristic protected by the Act.The Department trusts teachers to choose curriculum resources that are appropriate for their pupils and to ensure that how they deliver the curriculum does not discriminate. The Department has already published guidance to help schools fulfil their duties under the Act, which can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools. This includes advice on the Public Sector Equality Duty, which requires public bodies, including state-funded schools, to have due regard to the need to: foster good relations across all protected characteristics; advance equality of opportunity for people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it; and eliminate discrimination and other conduct prohibited by the Act. Additionally, the Independent Schools Standards requires independent schools to encourage respect for others, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the Act.

Students: Coronavirus

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to help protect older and more vulnerable students at greater risk from covid-19 infection when attending reopened further education colleges in September 2020.

Gillian Keegan: The guidance published on the 2 July and updated on 15 July sets how Further Education colleges can reopen safely for all learners, including those that are older or vulnerable, in September 2020. It has been developed in close consultation with the sector and medical experts from Public Health England. It sets out in detail the steps colleges should take to protect their staff and learners with a requirement to undertake full health and safety COVID-19 risk assessments and implement the September reopening protective measures. These risk assessments must consider groups that are most at risk, including learners with protected characteristics. The guidance also provides advice on supporting young vulnerable learners and recognises that young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) may need careful preparation for a return to full time attendance. We have also produced guidance for specialist education settings including special post-16 institutions. This sets out the actions special education setting leaders should take to minimise the risk of transmission in their setting, highlighting additional or different considerations for special education settings. We are doing everything we can to make sure colleges and other providers are as safe as possible for learners and staff, and will continue to work closely with the country’s best scientific and medical experts to ensure that is the case. We will keep guidance under review as we continue to monitor the situation over the summer and we will adjust and adapt our approach as necessary if more evidence becomes available to us. The guidance is available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision/what-fe-colleges-and-providers-will-need-to-do-from-the-start-of-the-2020-autumn-term.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings.

Ministry of Justice

ICT

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2020 to Question 69550 on ICT, for what reason his Department determined that the wide application means the presumption in law that computer systems are working properly is unsuitable for review in light of the changes since 1999 in the (a) design, (b) operation and (c) ubiquity of computer systems.

Alex Chalk: The common law presumption of correct functioning of a computer is rebuttable if there is evidence to the contrary. In such circumstances it is for the party seeking to produce the computer record in evidence to satisfy the court that the computer was working properly at the material time.We cannot ignore the impact that the dispute over the Horizon Accounting System has had on the postmasters affected and it is vitally important that the Government ensures that lessons are learned from the handling of this case. That is the purpose of the Review announced by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. However, there is nothing to suggest at this stage that a change is needed in the common law presumption which is relied upon to conduct banking and other financial transactions and legal proceedings in many other cases.

Crime: Young People

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to support those convicted of minor crimes in the event that those so convicted were coerced into committing those crimes at a young age; and what assessment he has made of the effect such convictions have on the long-term employment prospects of those so convicted.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice recognises that many young perpetrators of crime will often have a range of complex needs, some having themselves experienced victimisation. The Government is committed to intervening early and diverting children away from crime, recognising it is far better to prevent a child committing a crime. We also know the importance of supporting child victims to cope and recover.The Modern Slavery Act 2015 states that children under the age of 18 when they commit certain offences, are not guilty if they were committed as a direct act of exploitation. When deciding whether a prosecution is needed, the Code for Crown Prosecutors is clear that prosecutors must consider the best interests and welfare of the child or young person, amongst other public interest factors. This factor will always carry a special weight in the case of children and young people who are at a very early stage of their offending, and who are suspected of being coerced or exploited, starting from a presumption of diverting them away from the courts where possible.If a child does receive a conviction, then Youth Offending Teams will work with the child to address the underlying causes of their behaviour, including through specialist services.The government has recently laid (in July 2020) secondary legislation to change the rules governing criminal records disclosure for sensitive roles by removing the multiple convictions rule and the disclosure of youth cautions, reprimands and warnings. The orders are subject to the approval of Parliament. We are confident that this change will improve employment opportunities for people who have previously offended and will particularly benefit those with childhood cautions.

Prison Visitors: Coronavirus

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his policy is on children visiting their mothers in prison on a socially distanced basis where it is safe for them to do so.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) recognises the importance and positive impact that can benefit children and families by visiting offenders in prison. The decision to stop visits was based on public health advice and mirrored the restrictions faced by the whole country, we know the difficult impact this has on mothers in prison and it was not taken lightly.As a result of the success of these measures, we are now formulating plans for how these restrictions can be cautiously rolled back over the coming weeks and months. We have now reintroduced family visits at some establishments housing female offenders and plan to reintroduce them to the remainder of the female estate over the coming weeks. Currently a single adult visiting can be accompanied by up to two children, but if two adults visits only one child may accompany them. All visitors must live together in the same household except for parents of a prisoner who live apart. Guidance on visiting someone in prison during the pandemic is published on GOV.UK at the following link;https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visit-someone-in-prison-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemicWe are conscious of the impact that these restrictions have on prisoners’ wellbeing and rehabilitation. Taking into consideration the recommendations made in the 2017 Farmer Review and the 2019 Farmer Review for Women, we have invested in various measures to maintain family contact and improve wellbeing. We have provided additional pin credit for phone calls, distributed locked mobile phones for establishments without access to in-cell telephony and deployed new video call technology at all women’s prisons.

Court of Protection

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average waiting time is for an application for deputyship to be heard by the Court of Protection.

Chris Philp: The average waiting time for an application for deputyship to be heard by the Court of Protection is 39 days based on March 2020.

Courts

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the length of time it will take to clear the backlog in the criminal courts of England and Wales.

Chris Philp: COVID-19 has been an unprecedented challenge for the criminal justice system, but we have kept courts open and cases flowing through the system throughout. The UK has been a global leader and we are ahead of comparable systems. HMCTS has now published a Court Recovery Plan, which sets out that court operating hours will be extended, alternative venues will be used as courts to increase capacity and the use of the Cloud Video Platform (CVP) will be rolled out into all Magistrates’ and Crown Courts. Further measures to increase jury trial capacity are also being explored. The Court Recovery Plan can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/court-and-tribunal-recovery-update-in-response-to-coronavirus Public confidence requires cases to be dealt with in a timely manner and the backlog must be addressed. This goal will require ambition from the whole system. We have recently announced a record investment in court infrastructure and maintenance. We’re recruiting more court staff and we will shortly be making an announcement on use of additional court centres.

Courts: Working Hours

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has consulted (a) legal practitioners and (b) other stakeholders on plans to reintroduce Flexible Operating Hours in the courts.

Chris Philp: The Flexible Operating Hours pilots took place at Manchester Civil Justice Centre and the County Court at Brentford from September 2019 to March 2020. Local Implementation Teams, which include legal representatives and local support groups, were set up in Manchester and Brentford to plan and deliver the pilots. To support a cross-justice system approach to the evaluation of the pilots HMCTS set up an Evaluation Advisory Group which includes representatives from the judiciary, partner government agencies, the Bar Council, the Bar Standards Board, the Law Society and CILEx. HMCTS has appointed a consortium of IFF Research and Frontier Economics to carry out an independent evaluation of the Flexible Operating Hours pilots. The evaluation is being conducted as set out in the evaluation plan, published July 2019: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flexible-operating-hours-evaluation-plan-and-summary. The evaluation report will be published following completion, in the autumn and we will consider its findings carefully. Proposals to extend court operating hours are being considered as part of the HMCTS recovery plan. Working groups under the leadership of judiciary have been established to develop these proposals which include members of the legal profession across the jurisdictions.

Courts: Costs

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much it costs on average to process each defendant in the Crown Court.

Chris Philp: Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service currently does not calculate the average cost to process each defendant in the crown court. Historically costs have been calculated around such metrics as the unit cost of a sitting day in the crown court, but we are unable to calculate the average cost of processing a defendant in the crown court. Criminal cases may be multi handed resulting in multiple defendants in one trial. Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service has been working over the last 12 months to establish a variety of key financial metrics around the unit costs associated with various volumetrics.

Magistrates' Courts: Costs

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much it costs on average to process each defendant in the magistrates court.

Chris Philp: Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service currently does not calculate the average cost to process each defendant in the magistrates’ court. Historically costs have been calculated around such metrics as the unit cost of a sitting day in the magistrates’ court. We are unable to calculate the average cost of processing a defendant in the magistrates’ court. Magistrates operate several sessions across a sitting day, which may be multi handed resulting in multiple defendants in one trial. Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service has been working over the last 12 months to establish a variety of key financial metrics around the unit cost associated with various volumetrics.

Treasury

Economic Growth: Carbon Emissions

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the measures announced in his summer economic update on the (a) UK's net zero emissions target and (b) Paris climate agreement; and whether he will make a statement.

Kemi Badenoch: Our world-leading Green Book guidance provides a robust framework for assessing the impact of interventions on achieving our environmental goals. As part of the Plan for Jobs, the Chancellor announced over £3 billion of new funding for green buildings, including a £2 billion Green Homes Grant scheme to upgrade people’s homes and £1 billion to improve the energy efficiency of public sector buildings. This accelerates our progress towards net zero, saving the equivalent of up to 0.6 MtCO2e per year, which is roughly equivalent to taking up to 270,000 cars off the road.

Personal Care Services: VAT

John McNally: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including hair and beauty sector in the temporary VAT cut for the hospitality sector.

John McNally: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason the hair and beauty sector was included in the wider hospitality and retail sectors in relation to guidance issued during the covid-19 lockdown but not included in the temporary VAT cut for the hospitality sector.

John McNally: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to reduce the tax burden (a) companies and (b) people operating in the hair and beauty sector.

John McNally: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to support owners of hair and beauty businesses in the UK as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

John McNally: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to extend eligibility for the temporary VAT cut for the hospitality sector to the hair and beauty sector.

Jesse Norman: The temporary VAT reduction is designed to support businesses and jobs in the tourism and hospitality industry. In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chancellor has announced a range of measures to help individuals and businesses through the crisis, including grants, loans and relief from business rates worth more than £300 billion. All eligible businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors will pay no business rates in England for 12 months from 1 April 2020 and the Government deferred Value Added Tax (VAT) payments so UK VAT-registered businesses did not need to pay any VAT due with VAT returns from 20 March through to the end of June 2020, until 31 March 2021. A range of further measures has been made available. This includes the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help firms keep people in employment. The Bounce Back Loan Scheme has also been launched to help small businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Government will continue to consider how best to support the economic recovery.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure that  businesses do mot use support from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to fund the staff notice pay.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he intends to impose sanctions on  businesses found to be using support from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to fund staff notice pay.

Jesse Norman: Under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, an employer can claim for a furloughed employee who is serving a statutory notice period. However, grants cannot be used to substitute for redundancy payments. HMRC will continue to monitor businesses after the scheme has closed. Further guidance on employee rights and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme

Animal Housing: VAT

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made on extending the eligibility for VAT reductions in the Accommodation and Food Services sector to kennel and cattery businesses.

Jesse Norman: In light of the Covid-19 outbreak, the Chancellor has introduced a range of measures to help individuals and businesses through the crisis, including grants, loans and relief from business rates at a cost of more than £300 billion.The temporary reduced rate of VAT will support the tourism and hospitality sectors and will help over 150,000 businesses and protect over 2.4 million jobs. There are currently no plans to expand the scope of the temporary VAT reduction to include kennel and cattery businesses. However, the Government keeps all taxes under review.

Treasury: Correspondence

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the standard of correspondence produced by the Correspondence and Enquiry Unit in his Department in response to enquiries raised during the covid-19 outbreak.

Kemi Badenoch: Since March, the Treasury has received over 18,000 items of correspondence from Honourable Members – the largest correspondence volume received of any Government department leading on coronavirus pandemic. Replying to this amount of correspondence while delivering targeted action to protect millions of jobs and livelihoods is a significant challenge for a department of around 1,500 staff. However, the Treasury ensures that every MP receives a timely, accurate and informative reply to their queries. On rare occasions, when MPs have said any replies from the Treasury have not fully covered the issue raised, the department has provided an additional reply covering any outstanding points as soon as possible.

Retail Trade: Government Assistance

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the effect on the provision of services at (a) schools, (b) care homes, (c) hospitals and (d) other public services of inadequate financial support to ensure the sustainability of the wholesale distribution sector.

Kemi Badenoch: The Government has announced unprecedented support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency. This support is kept constantly under review and the Government continues to consider how to best support businesses, including those in the wholesale distribution sector. Wholesale distributors continue to have access to the Government’s unprecedented package of support for business, including, but not limited to, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), the Discretionary Grant Fund and the four government-backed loan schemes for firms of all sizes. The Business Support website provides further information about how businesses can access the support that has been made available, who is eligible and how to apply - https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder. The Government continues to work hard to support wholesale distributors to ensure that supplies continue to reach our schools, care homes, hospitals and other public services. We will continue to engage with businesses and representative groups in the wholesale sector to support businesses and ensure that the sector has a strong and sustainable recovery.

Cycling and Walking

Geraint Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on improving local economies through increased walking and cycling.

Steve Barclay: The Government has committed to invest £2bn in cycling and walking in England over the course of this Parliament. This includes £225m to be spent this year on expanding cycling and walking infrastructure in local authorities across England to encourage people to cycle and walk to reduce demand for public transport while social distancing is in place.

Self-employed: Coronavirus

Claire Hanna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support self-employed people who are not eligible for the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme due to having a loss in trading profit bringing their average trading profit to below zero.

Jesse Norman: Self-employed individuals, including members of partnerships, are eligible for the Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) if they have submitted their Income Tax Self Assessment tax return for the tax year 2018-19, continued to trade, and have been adversely affected by COVID-19. To qualify, their self-employed trading profits must be no more than £50,000 and at least equal to their non-trading income. The value of the grant is based on average trading profit over three tax years: 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2018-19. The aim is not to subsidise the self-employed who would have been making losses regardless, but to support those who have been adversely affected as a result of COVID-19. Individuals who are not eligible for the SEISS may be able to benefit from other elements of the unprecedented financial support provided by the Government. This package includes Bounce Back Loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, and other business support grants. On 8 July, the Government also introduced the new Plan for Jobs which will make available up to £30 billion to assist in creating, supporting and protecting jobs.

Self-employment Income Support Scheme

Owen Thompson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 May 2020 to Question 45271 on Self-employment Income Support Scheme, what steps he has taken to review his policy on calculation of average self-employed earnings in the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme to take into account periods of maternity leave.

Jesse Norman: As announced on 17 June, the Government has amended the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) eligibility conditions to support self-employed new parents.This means self-employed parents will be able to claim grants if they were taking time out of their trade to care for their new-born or newly adopted child and, as a result, did not submit a Self-Assessment tax return for 2018-19 or their trading profits in 2018-19 were less than their non-trading income.Further details of the change for self-employed parents is available on GOV.UK.

Kickstart Scheme

Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to open the Kickstart scheme to (a) employers and (b) young people.

Jesse Norman: The Kickstart Scheme will be open to funding applications from employers from August 2020, and the Government expects that the first jobs for young people will begin in the autumn.

Employment

Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the policy at paragraph 2.14 of the July 2020 Plan for Jobs CP 261.

Kemi Badenoch: The government will introduce a new payment of £2,000 to employers in England for each new apprentice they hire aged under 25, and a £1,500 payment for each new apprentice they hire aged 25 and over, from 1st August 2020 to 31st January 2021. Table 1 of the Plan for Jobs shows the level of fiscal support available including £1.6 billion for boosting worksearch, skills and apprenticeships. This includes the indicative cost of 100,000 incentive payments for new apprenticeship hires. The final costs will depend on the number of new apprentices hired.

Employment

Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding he has allocated to the policy at paragraph 2.48 of the July 2020 Plan for Jobs CP 261.

Kemi Badenoch: The government is creating a new Office for Talent based in No.10, with delivery teams across government departments. The Office will focus on attracting, retaining and developing top research and science talent across the UK and internationally. Precise details of implementation, including funding arrangements, will be determined in due course.

Revenue and Customs: Cleaning Services

Dan Carden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much money cleaning contractor ISS charged HMRC for cleaning services at (a) Litherland House, (b) The Triad, Regian House and (c) Imperial Court HMRC offices in Merseyside between 16 and 27 March 2020 and at (i) City Centre House and (ii) Norfolk House in Birmingham between 16 and 17 March 2020.

Jesse Norman: HMRC do not have a direct contract with ISS, who are a Tier Three supplier within HMRC’s PFI agreement with Mapeley STEPS Ltd.

Self-employment Income Support Scheme

Drew Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the introduction of the additional evidential standard under which applicants to the Self Employment Income Support Scheme are required to show a continued sectoral impact of covid-19 by 14 July 2020 on the level of accessibility to that scheme's second payment.

Jesse Norman: Applications for the second and final grant will open on 17 August. This will provide eligible claimants with a taxable grant worth 70% of their average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment covering a further three months’ worth of profit, and capped at £6,570 in total. Those claiming for the second grant will have to confirm that their business has been adversely affected on or after 14 July 2020.  The eligibility criteria for both grants are the same. A business could be adversely affected by coronavirus if, for example, the self-employed person is unable to work because they are shielding or self-isolating. A business could also be adversely affected if it has fewer or no customers. More examples are provided on GOV.UK.  Taxpayers claiming the SEISS grant should keep a record of how their business has been adversely affected; examples of evidence are available on GOV.UK.

Income Tax

Andy McDonald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount of income tax revenue lost to the public purse from the underpayment of the national minimum wage in each year since 2009-10.

Jesse Norman: HMRC enforce the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) in line with the law and policy set out by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The Low Pay Commission (LPC) publishes an annual report that provides an assessment of the nature and extent of NMW underpayment. The latest report published by the LPC in April 2019 can be found here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/797675/Non-compliance_and_enforcement_of_the_National_Minimum_Wage_WEB.pdf. There is no robust estimate available of the income tax revenue lost as a result of NMW underpayment.

Local Government Finance: Coronavirus

Steve Reed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2020 to Question 68708, on Local Government Finance: Coronavirus, whether Barnett Consequentials will flow from his Department's covid-19 local authority funding scheme.

Steve Barclay: Any new funding for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will have the Barnett formula applied to it in the usual way.This would be on top of the £8.9 billion of additional funding that we have already confirmed for the devolved administrations in relation to Covid-19.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: Travel

Alex Norris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to extend the deadline for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for leisure travel companies.

Jesse Norman: After eight months of the CJRS, the scheme will close at the end of October. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has said there will be no further extension or changes to the CJRS.It would be challenging to target the CJRS to specific sectors in a fair and deliverable way, and it may not be the case that this is the most effective or sensible way to provide longer term support for those sectors most affected by coronavirus.The Government will continue to engage with businesses and representative groups with the aim of ensuring that support provided is right for those sectors and for the economy as a whole.

Food: VAT

Grahame Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend the 8 July 2020 VAT reduction to include cold food served from (a) ice cream parlours and (b) other specialised food establishments.

Jesse Norman: In light of the Covid-19 outbreak, the Chancellor has introduced a range of measures to help individuals and businesses through the crisis, including grants, loans and relief from business rates at a cost of more than £300 billion.The temporary reduced rate of VAT will support the tourism and hospitality sectors and will help over 150,000 businesses and protect over 2.4 million jobs. Ice cream served for consumption on the premises in ice cream parlours or other food establishments will benefit from the reduced rate.

Catering: VAT

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether caterers providing food for (a) wedding breakfasts and (b) similar events are eligible for the VAT cut announced on 8 July 2020 on eat-in or hot takeaway food from restaurants, cafes and pubs as the covid-19 restrictions are eased.

Jesse Norman: Catering for events and functions provided on the catering supplier’s premises are covered by the new reduced rate, with the exclusion of alcoholic beverages. This is set out in the catering, takeaway food guidance (VAT Notice 709/1) published on GOV.UK. Further detail about the application of the new reduced rate can be found in the Revenue and Customs guidance on the temporary reduced rate of VAT for hospitality, holiday accommodation and attractions, also published on GOV.UK.

Income Tax

Andy McDonald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount of income tax revenue lost to the public purse from workers being wrongly categorised as self-employed in each year since 2009-10.

Jesse Norman: The Government is committed to tackling false self-employment. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) take a risk-based approach to investigating employers who may have misclassified individuals for tax purposes. In these cases, HMRC establish the facts and take steps to ensure the right tax and National Insurance contributions are paid. Income Tax and National Insurance contributions lost due to false self-employment are part of the tax gap related to employers. HMRC publish an assessment of the tax gap: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/measuring-tax-gaps. A separate estimate of the tax gap relating to false self-employment is not available.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend the furlough scheme to enable people who are suffering from cancer to remain at home.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will allocate funding to people with blood cancer who have been (a) been shielding and cannot work from home and (b) advised to continue shielding from August 2020 to help them access full financial support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for as long as they require; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend financial support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to people with blood cancer who (a) have been shielding but cannot work from home or (b) have been advised to continue shielding from August.

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate the Government has made of the number of people with (a) blood cancer and (b) other long-term illnesses who are (i) shielding during the covid-19 outbreak and cannot work from home and (ii) have been advised to continue shielding after August 2020; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing additional support to those people through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Jesse Norman: The Government recognises that COVID-19 has posed significant challenges for those suffering with cancer. The Government has put in place unprecedented levels of income support to help people deal with the financial consequences of COVID-19. This does not just include the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, but also the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, changes to Statutory Sick Pay, and the £9.3bn which the OBR estimates that the Government has injected into the welfare system. The Chancellor announced on 12 May that the CJRS scheme will be extended until October. Before 30 June, any employee could be furloughed, including those suffering from cancer. From 1 July, an employee can only continue to be furloughed if they have previously been furloughed for at least 3 consecutive weeks taking place any time between 1 March 2020 and 30 June. For those required to shield after 1 August, they will receive a letter or notification advising them of this, and they will continue to be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay on the basis of their shielding status.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Geraint Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2020 to Question 64047 on Coronavirus: Protective Clothing; if he will make it his policy to make a comparative assessment of the cost to the public purse of the production of pm2.5 filtration masks for people in the most polluted areas and covid-19 associated deaths in those areas.

Steve Barclay: No such comparative assessment has been made at this time. The Government’s priority remains to prioritise clinical PPE to protect frontline staff and ensure they feel safe in their workplace.

Employment: Coronavirus

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support he plans to make available to people who are (a) shielding and (b) living in multigenerational households in the event that they are unable to safely return to work once the shielding programme is paused, notwithstanding statutory sick pay.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to maintain the current level of employment support for people who are shielding and whose workplaces cannot be made covid-safe when the shielding scheme comes to an end on 1 August 2020.

Jesse Norman: On 22 June, the Prime Minister announced that the Government will relax the current public health guidance for those identified as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) to shield at home. This means from 1 August they will be able to return to work if they are unable to work from home, provided their workplace is COVID-safe. It is important that this group continue to take careful precautions, and employers should do all they can to enable them to work from home where this is possible, including moving them to another role if required. Where this is not possible, the CEV should be provided with the safest on-site roles that enable them to maintain social distancing from others. If employers cannot provide a safe working environment, the CEV will continue to have access to an unprecedented package of financial support. This is not limited to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, but also includes the introduction of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, and an increase in the generosity of welfare payments worth a further £8bn. Current guidance for those who live with the shielded, including those in multi-generational households, is that they do not need to shield themselves but must carefully follow guidance on social distancing.

Charities: Tax Allowances

Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department plans to publish the UK charity tax relief statistics for 2019-2020.

Kemi Badenoch: This publication had previously been announced for release in June 2020. As the demand increases for statistics and data to measure the impact of the COVID19 pandemic, HMRC has had to change its release practices, focussing efforts on priority analysis and statistics. In line with guidance from the Office for Statistics Regulation, HMRC announced on 22 May its decision to delay the release of this publication to October 2020. This information is online on GOV.UK at:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/900739/20200715_HMRC_Announcements.pdf

Soft Drinks: Taxation

Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 lockdown restrictions on forecast revenue from the soft drinks industry levy.

Kemi Badenoch: The Treasury does not publish forecasts of the economy or the public finances. Forecasts of future receipts are produced by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) on a regular basis as part of their Economic and Fiscal Outlook series. Although the OBR published a Fiscal Sustainability Report on 14 July, that report contains scenarios, not forecasts, and is not broken down to the level of individual taxes. The Chancellor will commission the OBR to produce a forecast alongside the next fiscal event in the usual way.

Blood Cancer: Coronavirus

Layla Moran: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to provide financial support to people with blood cancer that are advised to continue shielding by their treating team.

Jesse Norman: From 1 August the Government will relax national advice to those shielding, bringing it in line with the advice to those who are clinically vulnerable. The advice for those shielding is still to stay at home as much as possible. However, if they are unable to work from home, they will be able to return to their workplace, provided their workplace is COVID-safe.The Government has announced an unprecedented package of financial support through this period, all of which is available to those who have been asked to shield. This is not limited to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, but also includes the introduction of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and an increase in the generosity of welfare payments worth a further £9.3bn according to Office for Budget Responsibility estimates.In addition to this, those required to shield and who are in receipt of a letter or notification advising them so, will have access to Statutory Sick Pay for the duration of their shielding period. The Government has made Statutory Sick Pay easier to access for these individuals, making it payable from day 1 rather than day 4.

Offshore Industry: Income

Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department plans to publish statistics on Government revenues from UK oil and gas production.

Kemi Badenoch: On 18th May 2020 HMRC confirmed the publication date for Statistics of Government revenues from UK Oil and Gas Production as 23rd July 2020 on the official Government website (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schedule-of-updates-for-hmrcs-statistics). A direct link to HMRC’s announcement is provided below: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/900739/20200715_HMRC_Announcements.pdf

Fuels: Excise Duties

Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to publish the latest quarterly statistics on duty receipts and clearances for hydrocarbon oils.

Kemi Badenoch: HMRC are provisionally scheduled to publish the latest quarterly hydrocarbon oils receipts and clearances statistics at 09:30 22 September 2020. The publication will be updated with provisional statistics for June, July and August 2020 and will be published on the HMRC UK Trade Info website.

Killing Kittens: Finance

Sarah Champion: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to stop payments being made to the sex party organisers, Killing Kitten via the Future Fund.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many sex party companies have received payments from the Government covid-19 business support schemes.

Kemi Badenoch: The Government publishes aggregate application and approval figures for the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) and Future Fund but does not hold specific information relating to individual companies who have accessed these schemes. HMRC publishes weekly management information on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and monthly management information on VAT deferrals. On 11 June HMRC published the Official Statistics for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which included a breakdown of recipients by sector, but not individual companies. Therefore the Government does not collect data on the information requested. Regarding the Future Fund, it is an investor-led scheme with clear and published eligibility criteria. The scheme is being delivered by the British Business Bank and the Government is unable to comment on individual applications.

Customs: Kent

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what environmental impact assessment has been carried out on building physical customs inspection sites in Kent.

Jesse Norman: Environmental matters have been taken into account when considering the development of any potential inland customs facilities. Such matters will continue to be considered carefully as proposals are developed and taken forward for planning approval.

Customs: Contracts

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many contracts for the planned physical customs inspection sites have been signed.

Jesse Norman: To date HMRC have signed leases to secure four sites that were developed as temporary customs facilities ahead of the UK’s exit from the EU on 31 January 2020. Where necessary, contracts will be reviewed to extend them beyond 1 January 2021. Contracts are also in place for the development and running of these sites. It is intended to conduct physical inspections at most of these locations after the end of the Transition Period.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason his 10 July 2020 guidance to employers on individuals for whom they can claim wages who are not employees was not issued before that date; and what estimate he has made of the number of new eligible claimants.

Jesse Norman: On 10 July 2020, the guidance to employers on individuals they could claim for under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was relocated within GOV.UK and the structure was updated to improve clarity. There were no substantive content changes and therefore there has been no change in eligibility.

Prime Minister

Care Homes

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Prime Minister, when he last met with care home (a) workers and (b) providers.

Boris Johnson: I have engaged with care workers and with NHS staff in recent weeks, where I have been able to thank them for their tireless work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Civil Proceedings

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) personal injury claims and (b) claims under the Human Rights Act 1998 were brought against his Department in each of the last five years; what proportion of those claims related to overseas operations; and how many of those claims were brought (i) less than three years, (ii) between three or six years or (iii) six or more years after the date of loss.

Johnny Mercer: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. To locate, retrieve and extract the information requested would involve wide-ranging searches of a number of databases and liaison with the Government Legal Department.

Ministry of Defence: Apprentices

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to reach the public sector apprenticeship target.

Johnny Mercer: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is proud to be one of the largest deliverers of apprenticeships in the UK, with over 20,000 personnel engaged on a nationally recognised apprenticeship programme at any one time and over 90 per cent of our non-commissioned military recruits offered an apprenticeship relating to their trade. Public sector bodies with 250 or more staff have a target to employ an average of at least 2.3 % of their staff as new apprentice starts over the period 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2021. The Armed Forces are exceeding this target with an average of 8.3% of employees starting an apprenticeship in 2017-2019.The MOD's Civil Service (CS) is contributing towards the CS public sector target. The MOD CS has achieved a total of 2.1% of its total workforce as apprentices against the legislative target for the public sector of 2.3% by March 2021, to date. This has increased from 1.6% in 2019/20. We committed to enrolling 50,000 apprenticeships between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2020 and we exceeded that target in November 2018, over a year ahead of schedule.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Disability

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of claims for the disability component of universal credit were made under the special rules for terminal illness in each year since 2016.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Data exists in the system that would require matching across a number of data sets, which is a substantial piece of work. The required information is therefore not all readily available to analysts in a format that would enable them to undertake the analysis and quality assure the figures, to answer this PQ in the timescales.

Habitual Residence Test

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many habitual residence tests were carried out in each of the last five years; and what proportion of those tests were passed.

Justin Tomlinson: The table below gives the total number of Habitual Residency Tests (HRT) completed by Universal Credit (UC) full service claimants for the last five years, and the proportion of these HRT where a pass outcome was recorded.  Year UC claim declaredUC claims with an associated HRTUC claims with an associated HRT that passedProportion of Passes20155050100%20164,6004,10089%201751,40044,80087%2018245,900201,90082%2019417,400364,10087%2020231,400211,90092% Table Notes:All figures rounded to 100, but 2015 figures are rounded to the nearest 50.Figures are taken from Management Information on Universal Credit Full Service claims and do not include Live Service claims for which HRT data is not available.The month used in this data is the month in which the UC claim was declared (regardless of when the UC claim passed the HRT).Subtracting the number of HRT passes from the total number of UC HRTs undertaken would not provide the number of HRT fails, as this also includes HRTs where the outcome could not be determined, for example, a claim was withdrawn before the HRT result was recorded.The year refers to the calendar year, January – December apart from 2015 data which only includes June-December 2015 data and 2020 data which only includes January-March 2020 data.Information on Universal Credit Full service claims may be subject to future change; this is because claim data may be entered retrospectively for past months. Any retrospective changes are most likely to affect recent months; for this reason, we have provided data up to the end of March 2020.The UC full service data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. The data should therefore be treated with caution.

Children: Maintenance

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that child maintenance payments are being reviewed on a regular basis.

Mims Davies: Child maintenance calculations are reviewed annually using income information from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), meaning they stay up to date, and the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) does not need to rely on clients to report changes in their circumstances. However, a parent can report a change of circumstances at any time, if the income information received is not representative of the individual’s current earnings. The CMS will consider re-assessing their current earnings, if found to be 25 per cent different from the figure received from HMRC.

Universal Credit

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the conclusions of the NAO report on Universal Credit: Getting to First Payment.

Will Quince: The Department is considering the findings of the report in the normal way.

Materials Handling Equipment: Industrial Accidents

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with (a) Gateway Housing Association, (b) Tower Hamlets Council and (c) Swan Housing Association on the welfare needs of people who have been displaced as result of the crane collapse on 9 July 2020 at the Swan Housing Association’s Watts Grove development site in Bow.

Mims Davies: The Department has not been approached by either Gateway Housing, Tower Hamlets Council or Swan Housing Association regarding localised support for displaced residents. We will provide support to any residents who have been affected and are working with local agencies to coordinate our services and ensure people are able to access the help they need.

Personal Independence Payment

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how claimants for personal independence payment in 2019 died within six months of making those claims; and how many of those claimants had their claims disallowed by her Department.

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of the claimants for personal independence payment in 2019 who died within six months of making those claims and had those claims disallowed by her Department (a) made those claims under the special rules for terminal illness and (b) died within three months of those claims being disallowed by her Department.

Justin Tomlinson: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is claimed by people with a range of health conditions and disabilities, many of which are degenerative or life limiting and the Department treats the death of any claimant sympathetically. Claims made under the special rules for people who are terminally ill are fast tracked and are currently being cleared within 5 working days for new claimants.  Of the 1,820 PIP claimants who died within 6 months of registering a claim and were disallowed at initial decision: 240 claimants originally registered their claim under Special Rules for Terminal Illness.1,670 claimants died within 3 months of an initial decision on their PIP claim. Notes Source: PIP ADS, Customer Information System PIP data includes normal rules and special rules for the terminally ill claimants, and is for both new claims and DLA reassessment claims.This analysis only takes the first registration a claimant makes to PIP.This is unpublished data. It should be used with caution and it may be subject to future revision.Data has been rounded to the nearest 10. Components may not sum to the whole due to rounding.Figures cover PIP claims registered between January 2019 and December 2019, claims cleared up to and including 30th April 2020 and deaths up to 30th April 2020.GB Only.  Under the Social Security (Notification of Deaths) Regulations 2012 and s125 of Social Security Administration Act 1992 date of death is provided to the Department for all registered deaths. Additionally, next of kin also provide information on the date of death of an individual and this information is used appropriately in the administration of Departmental benefits.

Universal Credit

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that claimant commitments under universal credit do not comprise (a) volunteering and (b) other activities that affect an individual's eligibility for (i) personal independence payment and (ii) other additional support.

Mims Davies: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can be paid regardless of whether someone can work or volunteer. Work-related requirements are agreed in discussion with the claimant and will always be tailored to the claimant’s personal circumstances, ensuring they are realistic and achievable.Work coaches have the flexibility to personalise requirements for individual claimants based on their health condition. They can remove all work related requirements where it is not reasonable to expect them to be able to fulfil them.

Children: Maintenance

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what amount of child maintenance arrears are owed in the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency.

Mims Davies: The total amount of arrears for Child Maintenance Service (CMS) in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency in March 2020 is £588,000. Source: Child Maintenance Group administrative data

Universal Credit: Terminal Illnesses

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there has been a reduction in Special Rules for Terminal Illness claims for universal credit as a result of her Department's change to the online application question on terminal illness in May 2019; and if she will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Data exists in the system that would require matching across a number of data sets, which is a substantial piece of work. The required information is therefore not all readily available to analysts in a format that would enable them to undertake the analysis and quality assure the figures, to answer this PQ in the timescales.

Universal Credit: Terminal Illnesses

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department’s review of how the welfare system works for people with a terminal illness includes issues relating to universal credit for terminally ill people.

Justin Tomlinson: In July 2019, the then DWP Secretary of State announced an in-depth evaluation of how the benefits system supports people nearing the end of their life and those with the most severe conditions. The evaluation included three strands of research:hearing directly from claimants, clinicians and charities about their first-hand experiences;considering international evidence to find out what works in other nations and the support they provide; andreviewing current Departmental performance to better understand how the Special Rules for Terminal Illness and severe conditions processes operate and perform.

Local Housing Allowance

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 May 2020 to Question 40669 on universal credit, prior to raising the local housing allowance to the 30th percentile, what assessment she made of the levels of need this would match.

Will Quince: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



Raising the local housing allowance (LHA) rate to the 30th percentile ensured over 1 million households will see an increase, on average, of £600 this year. This increase means that 30% of properties in each broad rental market area charge a rent within the LHA rate, with the exception of 15 rates in central and inner London where the national maximum caps continue to apply. The national caps have also been increased and are now based on the Outer London LHA rate plus 20%.

Kickstart Scheme

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to work with (a) other Departments and (b) local authorities to deliver the Kickstart scheme; and how bids from employers wishing to take part in the scheme will be assessed.

Mims Davies: DWP will continue to work closely with a range of other government departments including DCMS, BEIS and MHCLG to develop and deliver the Kickstart Scheme. We know that mayoralties and all local authorities have an important role in the economic recovery. DWP will continue to work with them, and skills advisory panels, to make best use of their expertise and ensure the Kickstart Scheme meets their areas’ economic needs. Details on how bids will be assessed are yet to be finalised. We aim to make the process as straightforward as possible to allow the widest range of organisations to take part, whilst ensuring value for money. More information will be available in due course.

Kickstart Scheme

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had on the delivery of the Kickstart scheme with (a) the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government; (b) Jobcentre Plus Regional Offices and (c) local authorities.

Mims Davies: DWP is implementing the Kickstart Scheme. We will continue to work closely with a wide range of government departments including MHCLG, to develop and deliver the Scheme as part of the wider package announced in the Chancellor’s Summer Statement. With MHCLG we are setting up joint design groups to optimise the effectiveness of the scheme at a local and regional level. I have already discussed the Kickstart Scheme with the M9 Mayors and we have engaged extensively with the Jobcentre network. We are keen to develop an effective and comprehensive economic response that works nationally and locally. Our Job Centre Plus partnership managers and employer advisors already work closely with key local partners, such as Mayoral Combined Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships.

Kickstart Scheme

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what conditions will be placed on employers seeking to hire people under the Kickstart scheme.

Mims Davies: It is an employer's duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees including young people who will be employed through the Kickstart scheme. Further details about the Kickstart Scheme will be set out in due course.

Kickstart Scheme

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he will take to monitor the Kickstart scheme to ensure people employed under that scheme start new rather than previously existing jobs.

Mims Davies: Kickstart jobs will be new jobs - with the funding conditional on the employer demonstrating that these jobs are additional. Further details about the Kickstart Scheme monitoring and evaluation processes will be set out in due course.

Kickstart Scheme

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish any modelling his Department has undertaken on the potential effect of the Kickstart scheme on unemployment rates among people aged (a) 25 to 29; (b) 30 to 39; (c) 40 to 49; (d) 50 to 59 and (e) 60 or over.

Mims Davies: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Jobcentres: Staff

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Chancellor's summer economic update of 8 July 2020, what plans she has to expand the job centre network to accommodate the new work coaches announced in that update.

Mims Davies: We are currently evaluating the job centre network to ensure we can accommodate the new Work Coaches in a COVID-secure way.

Jobcentres: Staff

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Chancellor's summer economic update of 8 July 2020, whether her Department plans to lease or purchase new buildings to accommodate the new work coaches announced in that update.

Mims Davies: We are currently evaluating the job centre network to ensure we can accommodate the new work coaches in a COVID-secure way.

Jobcentres: Staff

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Chancellor's summer economic update of 8 July 2020, whether her Department has plans to reopen recently closed job centres to accommodate the new work coaches announced in that update.

Mims Davies: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Jobcentres: Staff

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Chancellor's summer economic update of 8 July 2020, how many new or reopened job centres will be required in (a) Airdrie and Shotts constituency, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK to accommodate the new work coaches announced in that update.

Mims Davies: We are currently evaluating the job centre network to ensure we can accommodate the new work coaches in a COVID-secure way.

Jobcentres: Staff

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Chancellor's summer economic update of 8 July 2020, what the timetable is for the recruitment of the new work coaches announced in that update; and what estimate she has made of the proportion of those so recruited that will be (a) redeployed from within her Department, (b) redeployed from other Government departments and (c) newly recruited into the Civil Service.

Mims Davies: With reference to the Chancellor’s summer economic update of 8 July, we are doubling the number of work coaches to 27,000 by March 2021. We shall recruit an additional 4500 work coaches required by October through a blend of cross-government promotion and external campaigns.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Dangerous Dogs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many animals were seized under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 by each police force in each of the last five years.

Victoria Prentis: Details of the number of animals seized under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 are not collated centrally by Defra. This information may be held by each separate police force.

Animal Products: Imports

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to ban the import of trophy-hunted animals and if he will list which animals will be banned.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the proposed ban on the import of animal parts as trophies will include lions.

Victoria Prentis: The Government is committed to doing all we can to support wildlife and the environment, both in the UK and internationally, including by delivering on our manifesto commitment to ban the import of hunting trophies from endangered species. Our consultation on controls on the import and export of hunting trophies, which closed in February 2020, provided an opportunity for respondents to provide views on which species they considered needed further restrictions. No decisions have been made yet as the pace of this work was impacted by the Government’s need to focus on addressing the urgent issue of COVID 19. We will publish the summary of responses to the consultation and call for evidence in due course. The outcome will inform our next steps.

Air Pollution: Schools

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to plant protective hedges around schools to reduce air pollution in schools.

Rebecca Pow: To support local authorities in their work to tackle air pollution hotspots, this Government has given a great deal of thought to the role that vegetation might play in improving air quality. The Air Quality Expert Group published a report named Impacts of Vegetation on Urban Air Pollution which is available to read here: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/assets/documents/reports/cat09/1807251306_180509_Effects_of_vegetation_on_urban_air_pollution_v12_final.pdf The key conclusion is that while vegetation might bring some highly localised benefits to air quality, it will not be a solution at a city scale. In the context of a school perimeter, there is little evidence to support vegetation reducing nitrogen oxides from exhausts and while significant amounts of foliage might provide a localised barrier effect to reduce particulate levels from the roadside, the effectiveness of these measures is unclear. This is why the emphasis of our Clean Air Strategy is to tackle the sources of pollution levels as the most effective way to improve air quality for all.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Air Pollution

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report of the all-party Parliamentary group on air pollution entitled, Air Quality Strategy to Reduce Coronavirus Infection, published on 29 May 2020.

Rebecca Pow: The Secretary of State welcomes the all-party group’s report and has noted its recommendations with interest. Improving air quality is a top priority for this Government and, especially during these unprecedented times, we will continue to take robust and comprehensive action to improve air quality in the UK and minimise public health impacts. Defra’s commitment and the need for cross-Whitehall work on this was recognised in the meeting between the hon Member and myself on 6 July. We recently published the findings from a rapid Call for Evidence to understand more fully the impact that coronavirus is having on changes in air pollution emissions, concentrations and exposure and Defra’s Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG).

Agriculture: Seasonal Workers

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effects of a potential shortfall in seasonal workers on the agricultural workforce.

Victoria Prentis: We are aware of the impact that restrictions on travel from other countries, as a result of Covid-19, is having on the number of seasonal workers coming to work in the UK. We are working closely with industry to help our world-leading farmers and growers access the labour they need over the busy harvest months. We are monitoring labour needs over the remainder of the 2020 harvest season. We understand from industry feedback that labour needs are currently being met and that the majority of businesses have sourced sufficient workers for the remainder of the season. The expanded Seasonal Worker Pilot in 2020 will enable us to carry out a more extensive evaluation of the systems and processes in place to access labour from non-EEA countries, ahead of any decisions being taken on how future needs of the sector might be addressed.

Animal Products and Livestock: UK Trade with EU

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government is seeking an agreement with the EU on sanitary measures applicable to trade in live animals and animal products.

Victoria Prentis: The Government is seeking agreement with the EU on a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) chapter as part of the Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement that would cover sanitary measures applicable to trade in live animals and animal products. The chapter should build on the WTO SPS Agreement, in line with recent EU agreements such as CETA and the EU-NZ Veterinary Agreement. It should protect human, animal and plant life and health, and the environment while facilitating access to each party’s market. It should ensure parties’ SPS measures do not create unjustified barriers to trade in agri-food goods between the UK and EU. Finally, it should reflect SPS chapters in other EU preferential trade agreements, including preserving each party’s autonomy over their own SPS regimes.

Poultry: Animal Welfare

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy and (b) effectiveness of duck welfare regulations for commercial duck farms; whether he plans to increase those welfare standards after the transition period; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Prentis: The Government's ambition is to raise our already high animal welfare standards still further, as new research and evidence emerges and we are currently reviewing priorities for farm animal welfare reform.The welfare of ducks is currently provided for in the general provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007. Defra also has a statutory duck welfare code which encourages high standards of husbandry for the keeping and breeding of farmed ducks, including requirements for suitable housing, stocking rates and the provision of feed and water.In addition to legislation, the main farm assurance schemes have standards in place which their members must also comply with, which set requirements to ensure the health and welfare of commercially produced ducks.

Giant Hogweed

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) value and (b) range of support his Department has allocated to each local authority to tackle giant hogweed; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the EU co-funded project to (a) develop a regional approach to tackling invasive non-native species and (b) facilitate the co-ordination of support to local action groups; and if he will make a statement.

Rebecca Pow: Defra does not provide any direct support to local authorities specifically in regard to giant hogweed. Local authorities have a suite of powers at their disposal to deal with landowners that allow giant hogweed to become a problem and spread outside of their land. Defra is happy to provide advice to local authorities as and when it is needed. The Reducing and Preventing Invasive Alien Species Dispersal (RAPID) LIFE Project, co-funded by the EU, has received a six-month extension due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We anticipate the end of project report to be completed in the coming months. This report will include an assessment of the efficacy of the project. In addition to this an assessment of the socio-economic impact of the project and contribution to ecosystem function will be produced. The project is on track to meet four of its five goals, which include helping the invasive non-native species management of local action groups (LAGs) become more coordinated both regionally and nationally. Uptake and engagement has had varying success, often depending on geography and density of LAGs. This will be covered in both reports.

Recycling

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the level of additional resources required to ensure that local authorities are able to make arrangements for recycling additional materials from 2023.

Rebecca Pow: In 2019, the Government published its consultation ‘Consistency in Household and Business Recycling Collection in England’ and associated impact assessment. These included assessments of the additional costs arising from measures for greater consistency in recycling collections including the collection of a core set of materials of plastic, glass, paper and card, metal, food and garden waste from households. The Government will be publishing a second consultation in 2021 which will seek views on further details of consistency in recycling. A further impact assessment will be published alongside it and will include updated assessments of costs for these measures. In line with guidance on new burdens, the Government has committed to covering the costs of any additional burdens that local authorities face as a result of new statutory duties that require them to implement consistency and will apply that guidance in assessing these costs.

Water: Standards

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to increase the quality of the 21 bathing waters in the UK that have been classified to be of poor quality.

Rebecca Pow: In 2019, the Environment Agency sampled 420 bathing waters in England and seven were classified as “Poor”. 98.3% of bathing waters met the minimum standard of “Sufficient” set by the Bathing Water Regulations 2013 (“the Regulations”) and 71.4% met the highest “Excellent” standard. Hundreds of projects have been completed to address poor bathing water quality and successfully drive up standards. Water companies have invested £2.5 billion to reduce pollution, councils and charities have run campaigns to keep beaches clean and advice has been provided to farmers on how to reduce pollution into rivers. The remaining “Poor” bathing waters all have complex problems that require partnership working with stakeholders to rectify issues. Sources of pollution identified include sewer misconnections, sea birds, dogs, run-off from urban and agricultural land, as well as sewage from combined sewer overflows and septic tanks. The Environment Agency is working with partners to look for solutions to these problems. Pollution risk forecasting provides advice against bathing when conditions such as rain or tide or wind increase the risk of reduced water quality.

Sewage: Standards

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK complies with its obligations on urban waste water standards; and what funding he has allocated to ensure urban waste water standards are maintained.

Rebecca Pow: Water quality is a devolved matter. In England, urban waste water standards are set by the Urban Waste Water Treatment (England and Wales) Regulations 1994. These regulations set standards for the collection, treatment and discharge of waste water and impose duties on water and sewerage companies to meet these standards. Compliance with the standards is regulated by the Environment Agency and any non-compliance is subject to enforcement action. The environmental programme that the water companies will be implementing over the next five years includes around £800 million of investment specifically in relation to urban waste water, as part of a wider package of £4 billion of investment to reduce pollution from waste water.

Air Pollution: Pollution Control

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to establish a statutory  target to meet World Health Organisation standards for fine particle air pollution by 2030.

Rebecca Pow: The Environment Bill establishes a legally binding duty to set a target for PM2.5, in addition to a long-term air quality target. As part of that work we have explored progress that will be made towards WHO PM2.5 guidelines on a national level under a range of scenarios, and a report on this was published in July 2019. We are committed to setting challenging targets and following an evidence-based process, seeking advice from a range of experts, in addition to giving consideration to the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines. The targets will be set in secondary legislation at the end of this process. It would not be an effective approach to policy making to commit in primary legislation to achieving a target, without giving due consideration to its achievability and the measures required to meet that target. Stakeholders, Parliament and the public will have the opportunity to comment on, and input into, the process of developing this target.

Coastal Erosion and Flood Control: Finance

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish the criteria his Department used to allocate the flooding and coastal erosion funding announced on 14 July 2020.

Rebecca Pow: On 14 July 2020 the Government announced it will invest up to £170 million to bring forward work on flood defence schemes which will drive economic growth and better protect thousands of homes, businesses and jobs from the devastating effects of flooding. The additional economic recovery funding will enable work to start on 22 new flood defence projects in 2020 or 2021, in addition to those schemes which were already planned to commence in the final year of the current six-year programme to better protect 300,000 homes from flooding. The schemes identified were shortlisted and approved based on their economic growth/recovery potential, specifically including numbers of businesses and jobs protected. They are also all projects that were “shovel-ready” to begin construction in the financial years 20/21 or 21/22.

Water Companies: Pay

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with representatives from Ofwat on the level of executive pay for water companies.

Rebecca Pow: The Government fully supports the expectations on transparency on executive pay as set out by the independent regulator, Ofwat, in its Board Leadership, Transparency and Governance principles published last year. Water companies are responsible for determining pay for executives, and are now required by their licence conditions to meet the objectives of the principles, and to demonstrate the link between performance for customers and performance-pay for executive teams. They must report to Ofwat annually. The department fully supports the regulator’s work to continue to push companies to perform better and improve public trust in the industry.

UN Convention on Biological Diversity

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to help ensure that the (a) Convention on Biological Diversity framework and (b) COP 26  are coordinated in (i) work on and (ii) approach to tackling biodiversity loss and climate change.

Rebecca Pow: Biodiversity loss and climate change are interlinked crises and cannot be tackled in isolation. This is why nature will be one of the key areas of focus at UNFCCC COP26 in Glasgow and why we will be pushing for the agreement of ambitious global targets for biodiversity at CBD COP15 in China. To amplify the linkages between the two agendas, at COP26 we will be encouraging countries to use nature based solutions as a way to tackle biodiversity loss and climate change including mobilising more finance for nature, investing in sustainable and resilient agriculture and protecting important ecosystems such as forests. We will work with China to ensure that the outcomes of both COPs are mutually supportive.

Nature Conservation

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that the UK is a global leader in policy advocacy for the conservation of nature.

Rebecca Pow: We are committed to ensuring that the UK leads the world to promote a green, fair and resilient global recovery from the impacts of Covid-19 and central to that is the importance of resetting the global relationship with nature. We will support the adoption of ambitious and practical targets on nature at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity Summit (COP15) in China next May, strengthened by coherent implementation mechanisms that will deliver a new global biodiversity framework that is commensurate with the scale of the challenge. Nature is also a top priority for our upcoming Presidency of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference (COP26) next year and we are pushing for tangible and ambitious commitments from partner governments to champion nature and nature-based solutions. Given this, and the multi-faceted benefits of nature-based solutions, we are working with the Chinese Government, who are hosting COP15, to press for mutually reinforcing outcomes at the two Conferences. In addition, we will continue leading global ambition on conserving endangered species, following our hosting of the international Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in 2018. On marine biodiversity, we are driving forward efforts to protect and enhance the ocean and eliminate harmful fisheries practice as we have done domestically and in 2018 we launched the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance with Vanuatu, which now convenes 34 Commonwealth countries to tackle plastic pollution. We have also committed to a new, £500 million Blue Planet Fund, and are building on the ‘30by30’ campaign which the UK launched at the UN General Assembly in 2018, leading the Global Ocean Alliance calling to protect 30% of the world’s global ocean by 2030. This ambitious target is underpinned by domestic commitments through the Blue Belt Programme, which is on course to deliver over 4 million square kilometres of protected ocean around the British Overseas Territories by the end of 2020. Our international leadership on nature must be underpinned by credible action at home. In England, our 25 Year Environment Plan marked a step change in ambition for nature and the natural environment. We are taking action to fulfil this ambition by introducing bold new legislation and new funding to support nature’s recovery.

Flood Control: Oxfordshire

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much of the additional budget for flooding will be spent on flood alleviation in (a) Abingdon, (b) Oxford City and (c) Oxfordshire.

Rebecca Pow: The Government is currently investing £2.6 billion across the country to deliver more than 1,000 flood defence projects to better protect 300,000 homes by 2021. Since 2015, £24 million has been spent in Oxfordshire to reduce the risk of flooding. The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme is fully funded, and construction is due to begin after the replacement of the A423 Kennington Railway Bridge. We are spending £5.62 million in Oxfordshire this year of which £2.3 million is on the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme which, when completed, will protect 1,200 homes. The rest of the money spent this year is towards other schemes, including looking at the early feasibility for schemes that could provide protection in the future if viable In Abingdon, the previously proposed flood storage area to reduce flood risk is not being progressed due to the low number of properties that will have their flood risk reduced. Other options are currently being considered for the town. Government funding is governed by the rules of the Partnership Funding Policy and the formula for allocating the Government’s contribution is weighted towards protecting people’s lives and homes. The Environment Agency will continue to work with Oxfordshire County Council on solutions for flooding across the county.

Animal Welfare: Coronavirus

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he take steps with representatives of the animal welfare sector to help prevent increases in demand for animal rescue services as covid-19 restrictions are eased.

Victoria Prentis: Defra is in regular contact with the companion animal rescue and rehoming sector. The Minister for Animal Welfare, Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park, has met the CEOs of the main companion animal welfare charities to discuss the effects of Covid-19 on the sector. Defra has worked closely with stakeholders to ensure that there has been helpful and effective guidance available to enable animal rescue and rehoming and charitable activities to continue operating as far as possible, during the various phases of Coronavirus restrictions. As we ease the restrictions, we are conscious that this may have an impact on animal rescue and rehoming. We will continue to work closely with the sector to understand their needs.

Home Office

Public Spaces Protection Orders

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (a) what estimate he has made of the number of public spaces protection orders used by local authorities; and (b) what purpose those protection orders were issued.

Victoria Atkins: The Government introduced Public Spaces Protection Orders through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to enable local authorities to tackle anti-social behaviour in public spaces. The powers in the 2014 Act are local in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances as they are best-placed to understand the needs of their community and the most appropriate response. The Government does not centrally collate data on the number of public spaces protection orders issued.

Modern Slavery Act 2015 Independent Review

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will adopt the recommendations from the Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act 2015: Final report, CP 100, published in May 2019, to strengthen the domestic legal framework for ensuring corporate accountability for modern slavery in supply chains.

Victoria Atkins: Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 established the UK as the first country in the world to require businesses to report annually on steps taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. The Government is committed to continuously strengthening our approach to increase transparency in supply chains. In 2018, the Home Office commissioned an Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act to look at where the Act has worked well and where it could be more effective, including section 54.The Government accepted the majority (see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-the-independent-review-of-the-modern-slavery-act)of the Review’s recommendations and on 9 July 2019 the Home Office launched a public consultation seeking views on an ambitious package of measures to strengthen the Act’s transparency legislation. These included requiring organisations to report on specific topics, introducing a single reporting deadline and extending transparency to the public sector. The Government will publish its response to the consultation this summer.We are also developing a new gov.uk registry for statements published under the Modern Slavery Act, to enable greater scrutiny from consumers, investors, civil society and others and drive a “race to the top”.

Factories: Leicester

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to investigate Leicester’s garment factories for alleged instances of (a) wage theft, (b) denial of benefits and (c) modern slavery conditions.

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to work with (a) local authorities and (b) other stakeholders in Leicester to establish a helpline for workers reporting instances of exploitation.

Victoria Atkins: We are deeply concerned by the appalling reports of illegal and unsafe working conditions for garment workers in Leicester. The Government will not tolerate the exploitation of vulnerable workers for commercial gain and is committed to taking action against those who seek to do so.Investigations of criminal offences are the responsibility of operational law enforcement partners, who have the appropriate powers to do so. Following these allegations, the National Crime Agency have launched an investigation into these serious concerns. This has been taken forward using a partnership approach, using the expertise of several bodies, including the Health and Safety Executive, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and Leicestershire Police.Workers can report information or concerns about suspected labour exploitation in confidence through the telephone to the GLAA or to the Modern Slavery and Exploitation Helpline. For advice on the legal minimum wage, working hours and employment agencies, workers can call the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service helpline for free.We have also committed to going further on state enforcement and establishing a single enforcement body for employment rights to better protect vulnerable workers and create a level playing field for the majority of employers that comply with the law.

Slavery

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce penalties for companies who fail to (a) publish an annual statement and (b) comply with their obligations under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to strengthen the provisions of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 to require (a) large companies and (b) fashion brands to undertake due diligence checks throughout their supply chains to ensure (i) materials and (ii) products are produced without the use of exploited labour.

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to ensure that Government procurement is compliant with the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Victoria Atkins: This Government is committed to eliminating modern slavery from our communities and the global economy. The landmark transparency requirement contained in section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 made the UK the first country in the world to require businesses to report on how they are tackling modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. Section 54 was designed to empower consumers, investors, civil society and others to scrutinise the action that businesses are taking to identify and address modern slavery in their supply chains.To further increase transparency in supply chains, the Home Office launched a public consultation on a range of measures to strengthen section 54, including requiring organisations to report on specific topics, including due diligence, and introducing civil penalties for non-compliance. The Government will publish its response to the consultation this summer. We are also developing a new gov.uk registry for organisations in scope of the requirements of the Modern Slavery Act to publish their modern slavery statements which will enable greater scrutiny.In March this year, we became the first country to publish a modern slavery statement setting out how we are preventing modern slavery in Government supply chains. Bidders for central Government contracts, above relevant thresholds, are required to confirm that they are compliant with the transparency requirement in the Modern Slavery Act 2015, where the bidder is in scope of the transparency requirement. Bidders for public contracts that have failed to meet their legal obligations in the last three years risk being excluded from public procurements, unless they can demonstrate that they have taken measures to remedy the failures and prevent recurrence. The Home Office has written twice to the CEOs of more than 16,000 businesses in scope with clear information about how to meet their obligations.

Slavery: Manufacturing Industries

Gareth Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps are being taken to eradicate modern slavery in the fast fashion industry.

Victoria Atkins: The Government is committed to tackling modern slavery in all sectors, including fashion, which is why in 2017 we expanded the remit of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), giving specially trained officers stronger powers under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 to investigate labour market offences across all sectors of the economy in England and Wales. We have also committed to creating a single enforcement body to crack down on employers abusing the law, to protect vulnerable workers and create a level playing field for the majority of employers that comply with the law. To address risks in the fashion sector specifically, the former Prime Minister launched 'The Apparel and General Merchandise Public and Private Protocol' in 2018. The protocol is a partnership between enforcement bodies such as the GLAA and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and industry partners, including the British Retail Consortium, UK Fashion and the Textile Association, and commits its signatories to working together to eradicate slavery and exploitation in textile supply chains.We are also committed to improving transparency in domestic and global supply chains. Under section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the UK became the first country in the world to require large businesses in all sectors to report on how they are tackling modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. We are committed to continuously strengthening our approach and in July 2019 the Home Office launched a public consultation on an ambitious package of measures designed to enhance the impact of transparency, including mandating specific topics organisations must report on, introducing a single reporting deadline and extending transparency to the public sector. The Government response to the consultation will be published this summer.We are also developing a new gov.uk registry for statements published under the Modern Slavery Act, to enable greater scrutiny from consumers, investors, civil society and others and drive a “race to the top".

Visas: Travel Restrictions

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to extend the 30-day travel period for the vignette application for people unable to enter the UK due to flight cancellations as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has put in place a range of measures to support those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. It has been agreed that if an individual’s 30-day visa to travel to the UK for work, study or to join family has expired, or is about to expire, a replacement visa with revised validity dates valid for up to 90 days may be requested free of charge until the end of this year (2020).Affected customers will need to contact the UKVI Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre. Full details of the Help Centre and how to make a request can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents .

Prevent Independent Review

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government is consulting with local authorities on an expansion of the Prevent programme while the independent review of Prevent is ongoing.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office regularly engage with local partners to assess and review Prevent delivery to see where improvements can be made. This ongoing process includes obtaining feedback from local authorities on the current model of Prevent local delivery. No decisions have been taken on future delivery models.

Stalking: Registration

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that serial stalkers are routinely tracked, managed and supervised.

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that domestic violence perpetrators are routinely tracked, managed and supervised.

Victoria Atkins: People who have been convicted of one of the offences specified in Schedule 15 to the Criminal Justice Act 2003, including stalking involving fear of violence or serious alarm or distress, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and who have been sentenced to 12 months or more of imprisonment or youth detention or who have been detained under the Mental Health Act 1983, are automatically managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). Of those people, those who pose a higher risk of harm - where formal multi-agency meetings are held to inform the shared Risk Management Plan - are included on the ViSOR Dangerous Persons Database. People who do not meet those criteria, but who have been convicted or cautioned for, or reprimanded or warned about, an offence which indicates that they pose a risk of serious harm to the public, and who are considered by the MAPPA agencies to require the active involvement of several agencies via regular multi-agency public protection meetings, are also managed under MAPPA and included on ViSOR. Additionally, a person who has not been convicted of an offence, but whose behaviour gives reasonable grounds for believing that there is a likelihood of them committing an offence which will cause serious harm (known as a Potentially Dangerous Person), may also be included on ViSOR. The College of Policing has issued guidance to police forces on the ‘Identification, assessment and management of serial or potentially dangerous domestic abuse and stalking perpetrators’. The key principles set out that forces should have processes in place to identify serial or potentially dangerous domestic abuse or stalking perpetrators and ensure that information about the perpetrator is recorded on the Police National Computer, the Police National Database or ViSOR as appropriate. HM Prison and Probation Service has published a Domestic Abuse Policy Framework which sets out the arrangements for working with people whose convictions or behaviours include domestic abuse. The framework mandates adherence to the referral pathways for domestic abuse perpetrators and ensures that the expectations for its work in those cases is laid out clearly and comprehensively. In January 2020 the Government introduced Stalking Protection Orders, which allow magistrates’ courts to impose prohibitions and positive requirements on a person if they are necessary to protect another person from a risk associated with stalking. The Domestic Abuse Bill will introduce Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, which will include similar provisions, including specific provision for electronic tagging.

Visas: Turkey

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to enable people with European Community Association Agreement visas to (a) renew and (b) extend those visas whist outside the UK in the event that they cannot travel back to the UK during the covid-19 outbreak prior to their visa expiring; and if she will make a statement.

Kevin Foster: The Government is committed to ensuring that people are not unfairly impacted in terms of their immigration status as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Those who are outside the UK when their European Community Association Agreement (ECAA) visa expires can apply, free of charge, for entry clearance as an ECAA business person so that they can return to the UK. On their return, they can seek to extend their leave where they are eligible for this. Further guidance for ECAA applicants who have been unable to return to the UK or renew their leave because of illness or travel restrictions due to Covid-19 will be published shortly

Domestic Abuse: Immigrants

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure that the Everyone In initiative provides temporary accommodation to (a) women survivors of domestic abuse and (b) women survivors with no recourse to public funds.

Victoria Atkins: On 24 June the Housing Secretary announced that the Government is providing local authorities with a further £105 million to enable them to best support the c15,000 people placed into emergency accommodation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government has been clear that the offer for each person supported under this approach would need to be made on an individual basis, considering that person’s specific circumstances, support needs and the law. This could include women who have experienced rough sleeping due to domestic abuse.The rules as to eligibility relating to immigration status, including for those with no recourse to public funds, have not changed. Local authorities must use their judgement in assessing what support they may lawfully give to each person on an individual basis, considering that person’s specific circumstances and support needs.  Local authorities already regularly make such judgements on accommodating individuals who might otherwise be ineligible, during extreme weather for example, where there is a risk to life.The Government recognises that some migrant victims of domestic abuse are not eligible for existing sources of support, such as the Destitution Domestic Violence Concession (DDVC). That is why we have committed £1.5 million to the Support for Migrant Victims scheme to support migrant victims of domestic abuse who do not qualify for the DDVC and gather the evidence that is needed to make sustainable decisions for this group over the long-term. This is in addition to over £1.5 million provided so far in Tampon Tax funding, since 2017 and up to 31 March 2021, to fund organisations supporting migrant victims of domestic abuse who do not qualify for the DDVC. We continue to work with our partners across Government to develop the particulars of the scheme, which is due to be launched in the autumn.

Domestic Abuse: Immigrants

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Government’s draft Statutory Guidance in relation to the Domestic Abuse Bill published 1 July 2020, what steps her Department is taking to help migrant survivors of domestic abuse to regularise their status and provide support in the event that those survivors are not eligible to apply under the Domestic Violence Rule.

Victoria Atkins: The Government’s position is clear that all victims of domestic abuse should be treated as victims first and foremost. The Destitution Domestic Violence Concession (DDVC) is available to those who have come to the UK on specified partner visas with the reasonable expectation of obtaining Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK. The DDVC is not available to individuals who enter the UK on other visas, such as visit, student or work visas, or who are here illegally. This is because in order to obtain such visas they have confirmed they are financially independent, and therefore require no recourse to public funds, and their stay will be for a defined time. They do not have a legitimate expectation of securing ILR. As we made clear in parliamentary debates on the Domestic Abuse Bill, this Government is committed to ensuring all victims have adequate support which meets their immediate needs. That is why we have allocated £1.5m towards the Support for Migrant Victims (SMV) scheme, due to be launched later this year, to support migrant victims of domestic abuse who do not have access to public funds to access safe accommodation. This is in addition to over £1.5 million in Tampon Tax funding provided so far, since 2017 and up to 31 March 2021, to support organisations specialising in providing specialist support to migrant victims of domestic abuse who do not qualify for the DDVC. The pilot project will not only support more individuals to find safe accommodation but will help gather the data that is needed to develop sustainable solutions for all migrant victims of domestic abuse over the long-term.

Domestic Abuse: Immigrants

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions her department has (a) taken steps to (i) regularise the status and (ii) provide support to migrant survivors of domestic abuse who are not eligible to apply under the Domestic Violence Rule; and (b) required a migrant survivor of domestic abuse to leave the UK in each of the last five years.

Victoria Atkins: The data requested is not held centrally and to obtain it would require a manual check of individual records which would significantly exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.

Proscribed Organisations

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what restrictions are in place on the public display of (a) flags and (b) other symbols of terrorist organisations proscribed in the UK; what steps she is taking to (i) collate data on and (ii) report to Parliament on the numbers of people (A) arrested and (B) prosecuted for the public display of those items; what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of proscribing terrorist organisations in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Kit Malthouse: The Government takes proscription offences seriously. It is an offence under section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 to carry or display articles supporting a proscribed organisation, or to publish an image of an item of clothing or other article, such as a flag or logo, in the same circumstances. Data relating to these section 13 offences are grouped with other proscription offences (sections 11 and 12 of the Act) in the publication ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’. The most recent publication, up to year ending March 2020, was published on 11 June on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/operation-of-police-powers-under-the-terrorism-act-2000-financial-year-ending-march-2020. Proscription sends a strong message that terrorist organisations are not tolerated in the UK and deters them from operating here. It is one of the key tools available to the Government, police and Security Service to disrupt terrorist activity. Between 2001 and the end of March 2020, 83 people have been charged with proscription-related offences as a primary offence in Great Britain, and 45 have been convicted. Proscription can also support other disruptive activity including the use of immigration powers such as exclusion, prosecution for other offences, encouraging removal of on-line material, and messaging and EU asset freezes.

Offences against Children: Coronavirus

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that children and young people at risk of sexual abuse and exploitation, who may have gone unnoticed during the covid-19 lockdown, are identified and supported as soon as possible.

Victoria Atkins: Protecting those at risk from abuse and exploitation is a priority for this Government. We are acutely aware that for some children and young people, the Coronavirus pandemic may have brought with it additional risks and dangers, as well as reducing contact with professionals and trusted adults. This Government is committed to doing everything we can to support and protect those at risk of harm. That is why, following the Chancellor’s announcement of £750m funding for the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, the Home Office and Department for Education (DfE) launched a £7.6m joint fund to provide financial hardship relief for national VCSE organisations that support vulnerable children across England and Wales. Further funding will also be dispersed through direct awards due to be finalised imminently, and recipients include organisations working to protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse. DfE are also funding a £7 million new See, Hear, Respond service led by Barnardo’s. This will support children who are hidden from view, not currently receiving support from statutory agencies and at risk of harm and/or experiencing adverse impacts on their health and wellbeing. The service will develop a dynamic sector response that intervenes early, supports and safeguards these children, mitigating against escalation of need and long-lasting harm to children and families. As part of this the Government made £1.6 million available immediately for the NSPCC to expand and promote its national helpline for adults concerned about the safety of children, alongside disseminating safeguarding messaging to key community partners to raise awareness of how and where they can raise concerns and seek advice about the safety and wellbeing of children.Existing programmes, such as our £13.2m Trusted Relationships Fund, have also pivoted their response to sustain support to vulnerable children and young people during the restrictions. Our 11 local authority-led projects working with 10-17 year olds at risk of sexual exploitation and other harms, have adapted their support by: moving this to virtual platforms; creating 24 hour support helplines; engaging in schools where vulnerable children are still attending; planning diversionary activities to engage young people over the summer; and resuming detached youth work where this can be delivered safely. Building on the Government’s intensive efforts to protect vulnerable people from hidden crimes such as domestic abuse and child sexual abuse during this period, the Prime Minister’s Hidden Harm Summit on 21 May was an opportunity to share emerging best practice at the local and national level and identify areas to go further over the coming months. The Home Office will continue champion and support collaboration across partners, including by continuing to promote a child-centred and trauma-informed policing approach.

Home Office: Overseas Aid

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2020 to Question 63287 on Home Office: Overseas Aid, how much her Department spent on the (a) End Violence against Children Programme, (b) modern slavery Victim Care Contract and (c) Modern Slavery Fund in each of the last three years; and what her Department's planned spending is for those projects in the next year.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Office Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend in each of the last three years for the End Violence against Children Programme and Modern Slavery Fund are published to https://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/department/HO.The Department spend on the ODA element of the Victim Care Contract (VCC) in 2018/19 was £5.8m and £9.24m in 2019/20 – We began reporting the ODA eligible proportion of VCC expenditure in 2018/19.Home Office planned ODA spend in the next year is dependent on the outcome of the Spending Review.

Law and Order: Protective Clothing

Sir Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the implications of the widespread wearing of face coverings for the (a) incidence of crime and (b) efficacy of law enforcement.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office has not made a recent assessment of the impact of face coverings on the (a) incidence of crime and (b) efficacy of law enforcement. We will continue to engage with our policing partners on the implications of face coverings for crime and investigation.

Migrant Workers: Shipping

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the document The UK’s Points-Based Immigration System - Further Details, published 13 July 2020, if she will list the seafarer (a) officer and (b) ratings occupations (i) included and (ii) not included in the skills test accompanying the proposals on the points-based immigration system.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on demand in the shipping industry for seafarers in occupations that require skills below level 3 of the Regulated Qualifications Framework; and if she will make a statement.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to include all seafarer ratings' occupations in the skills test requirements of the proposed points-based immigration system.

Kevin Foster: Under our new Skilled Worker route, we will expand the range of jobs which qualify under the current system for non-EU nationals, from graduate level roles (RQF level 6 and above) to those requiring skills equivalent to A-level (RQF level 3 and above). The further details statement we published on 13 July lists all the occupations which qualify, including those in seafaring.  This list is based on the advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).  The details for each occupation are taken from the widely-used SOC code system, developed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).  The ONS publishes a variety of guidance to help employers and individuals find the appropriate SOC code for a particular job. As we set out in our previous policy statement of 19 February, we will not introduce a general route for jobs below the skills threshold.  Due to the shorter periods of training required, it is reasonable to ask employers to focus their efforts on the resident workforce, rather than relying on cheap labour from overseas.

Slavery: Victim Support Schemes

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's News story of 29 June 2020, New contract to deliver improved support for modern slavery victims, whether people provided with accommodation under the Victim Care Contract since the beginning of the covid-19 outbreak will be able to remain in that accommodation for another three months.

Victoria Atkins: In line with Public Health England guidance in response to COVID-19, the policy change announced on 6 April 2020 meant individuals who were accommodated in the VCC, would have continued access to this accommodation for a three-month period. The policy was reviewed at the end of June, with consideration of government wide COVID-19 advice. The review determined that the policy will remain in place for a further period of one month from 6 July to the 6 August 2020. This is a transitional period, and from 6 August, the move on processes and periods set out in the Modern Slavery Act 2015: statutory guidance for England and Wales will resume as normal. The Government is committed ensuring the safety and security of those supported through the modern slavery Victim Care Contract (VCC). Support workers and decision makers will continue to consider government advice, as well as the impacts of COVID-19 on the availability of services and the safety/security of individuals as part of move-on processes.

Immigration

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to consult with employers on the cost of applications under the proposed new points-based immigration system.

Kevin Foster: We recognise the new system will mean changes in the way businesses operate and recruit. That is why we are providing certainty on the new system now, giving us time to work together to understand employer’s needs. Fees for border, immigration and citizenship products and services play a vital role in our country’s ability to run a sustainable system. We believe it is right that those who use the systems should contribute to its cost, thereby reducing the burden on the UK taxpayer. A new programme of engagement is underway to raise awareness of the new system, ensuring those affected by the changes are fully aware of what it means for them and understand how the system will operate. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and since the Policy Statement was published in February 2020, we have facilitated over 50 engagement events and continue to hold regular events across the UK and a wide range of sectors. We have published an introduction to the points-based immigration system for employers and launched a direct email campaign to enable businesses to sign-up to receive updates on the system’s implementation.

Immigration: Social Services

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to consult with local authorities on the potential effect of the proposed new points-based immigration system on the social care sector.

Kevin Foster: The social care sector is invaluable to our country. Social care workers have shown incredible dedication during this extraordinary time. The Government is working with the sector in a number of ways to help support it during this difficult time and going forward, including extra funding and a national recruitment campaign. However, the independent Migration Advisory Committee has been very clear that immigration is not the answer to the challenges in this sector. As we implement the new immigration system, we want employers to focus on investing in our domestic work force. A programme of engagement is underway to raise awareness of the new points-based system, ensuring those affected by the changes are fully aware of what it means for them and understand how the system will operate.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the main reasons were for UK Visas and Immigration to refuse 1,400 applications to the EU Settlement Scheme in June 2020.

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for Pre-Settled Status did UK Visas and Immigration refuse in June 2020; and what the main reasons were for those refusals.

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether all 1,400 refused applications to the EU Settlement Scheme in June 2020 were approved by Ministers.

Kevin Foster: The majority of applications to the EU Settlement Scheme which have resulted in a refusal were due to there being insufficient evidence of the applicant’s eligibility, as detailed in the Home Office EU Settlement Scheme Statistics User Guide. Eligibility refusals comprise 99 per cent of the total refusals up to 31 May 2020, with the remaining refusals being made on suitability grounds. A breakdown of the refusal decisions made in June 2020 will be published in the next quarterly statistics release, due to be published in August 2020. The published statistics include all refusals of status under the scheme. Ministers agreed a high level of assurance that is applied prior to any application to the EU Settlement Scheme being refused. Cases identified as potential refusals are subject to stringent scrutiny and review and the number of applications refused remains proportionately low in comparison to applications which have been granted. Before refusing an application under the scheme, UK Visas and Immigration will seek to work with the applicant to help them provide the evidence required to demonstrate that they qualify for settled status and, if not, for pre-settled status and, where appropriate, will exercise discretion in their favour in order to minimise administrative burdens on the applicant

Home Office: Apprentices

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reach the public sector apprenticeship target.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office is six months into the implementation of the Apprenticeships Operating Model (AOM) designed to centralise all HR end-to-end processes (including streamlining recruitment activities through to programme onboarding). The growth of a dedicated team has been stood up to increase the quality and quality of apprenticeships for the future. This industry tested model has the capacity and capability to meet the minimum 2.3% statutory target (England workforce) annually. To enable delivery, there are strong governance frameworks in place which are closely connected to the Home Office People Strategy 2018 – 2023. The refreshed AOM and strengthened workforce planning enables the dept. to address the target shortfall and annual ministerial commitments within a two-year period. Key to assessing performance is through the delivery of a robust Assurance Framework to ensure demand and delivery are aligned and reviewed quarterly and RAG status at Director General level. In the coming six months, the Home Office is committed to prioritising apprenticeships recruitment across operational delivery (largest population in the department), policy and digital professions. This demonstrates the Home Office’s pledge to future skills development: attracting the best talent from the external labour market whilst creating opportunities for internal professional capability building.

Visas: Coronavirus

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will agree to a further visa extension beyond 31 July 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic.

Kevin Foster: The latest information in respect of advice for visa holders can be found on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents. This is kept under review.The Home Office has put in place a range of measures to support those affected by the covid-19 outbreak. We recognise that further adjustments are likely to be required to cater for all scenarios, and we are working through these, to ensure people are not unduly affected by circumstances beyond their control.

Stop and Search: Ethnic Groups

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that stop and search is not disproportionately affecting (a) black men and (b) BAME communities.

Kit Malthouse: The Government is clear no one should be stopped and searched based on race or ethnicity and there are safeguards to ensure that this does not happen. These include Code A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 which sets out the statutory requirements for conducting a search, the use of body worn video to increase accountability, and HMICFRS inspections where force level disparities are examined.Last year, the Home Office asked the College of Policing to update its guidance on stop and search to provide better practice to forces on community engagement and scrutiny.  The Home Office also publishes extensive data on police powers, including the use of stop and search, which allows Police and Crime Commissioners and others to hold forces to account. The latest publication is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2019.

Coronavirus: Quarantine

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July to Question 69589 on Coronavirus: Quarantine, whether the ad hoc statistical release on Health Measures at the Border has now been published.

Kevin Foster: We don’t currently publish statistical data relating to the Health Measures at the Border. However, this is being reviewed and we will be seeking ministerial approval to publish some selected data on compliance with the measures.

Migrant Workers: Self-employed

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what protections are in place for self-employed people whose income continues to be affected by the covid-19 outbreak after 31 July 2020, and who are unable to meet the Minimum Income Requirement when sponsoring a non-EEA partner’s UK visa.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has established a range of measures to support those affected by Covid-19. For the purpose of the minimum income requirement, in addition to the range of ways the requirement can already be met through sources of non-employment income: a temporary loss of annual income due to Covid-19 between 1 March 2020 and 31 July 2020 will generally be disregarded for self-employment income, along with the impact on employment income from the same period for future applications beyond 31 July. Income received via the Coronavirus Self-Employment Income Support Scheme will also be taken into account;a temporary loss of employment income between 1 March and 31 July 2020 due to Covid-19 will be disregarded, provided the requirement was met for at least six months up to March 2020;an applicant or sponsor furloughed under the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will be deemed as earning 100% of their salary;evidential flexibility may be applied where an applicant or sponsor experiences difficulty accessing specified evidence due to Covid-19 restrictions. Guidance for our customers is available on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chapter-8-appendix-fm-family-members. These are unprecedented times and as the UK returns to work, we continue to monitor the situation closely and take these exceptional circumstances into account. We may make further adjustments to requirements where necessary and appropriate to ensure people are not unduly affected by circumstances beyond their control.

Immigration: EEA Nationals

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of (a) visa fees and (b) the immigration health surcharge on the number of EEA nationals migrating to the UK from 1 January 2021.

Kevin Foster: An Impact Assessment on the wider impacts of the ending of free movement for EEA and Swiss citizens was laid alongside the Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill. It can be found at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/885682/2020-05-18_IA_ImmSSC_Billl_v21_with_Signature.pdfOn 19 March 2020 the Home Office published a literature review of the evidence relating to the elasticity of demand for visas in the UK. This evidence is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-review-of-evidence-relating-to-the-elasticity-of-demand-for-visas-in-the-uk The impact of the imposition of both visa fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge on EEA and Swiss citizens will be published alongside the Immigration Rules and Fee Regulations in the Autumn.

Wales Office

Agriculture: Coronavirus

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on farming in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Hart: The UK Government is acutely aware of the pressures facing Welsh farmers as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. We are hugely grateful for the hard work they have done – and continue to do – to maintain vital food supply chains, and we know how essential farming is to rural communities in Wales. Whilst we are pleased to see business now returning as shops and restaurants reopen, this has been a challenging period for many farmers who have seen a significant reduction in demand following the temporary closure of the food service sector.We want a profitable and resilient farming sector and we will always champion our farmers by supporting them to provide a sustainable food supply to consumers. Although agriculture is a devolved matter in Wales, the UK Government took several specific measures to support our farmers through the Covid-19 outbreak. For instance, we have temporarily relaxed certain elements of competition law to support the farming sector and have worked with the industry on promotional campaigns for beef and dairy. This is in addition to the package of UK Government-backed financial support schemes, such as the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, which have provided vital support to Welsh farmers.I have had several meetings with Welsh farming unions and other key industry stakeholders in Wales throughout this crisis. We remain in regular contact with representatives from across the sectors to help us assess specific challenges and identify how best to support their economic recovery in the months ahead.

Tourism: Coronavirus

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what estimate he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the reduction in income from tourism to Wales as a result of the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Hart: The UK Government recognises the challenges faced by businesses in the wake of Covid-19. This is why we acted quickly and decisively to provide an unprecedented level of support to protect businesses, jobs and incomes in the tourism industry in Wales. By the end of June, the UK Government had supported 378,400 Welsh jobs through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and 108,000 self-employed people in Wales through the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme. We have cut VAT by 15% for six months for the tourism and hospitality sectors to kick-start recovery and our Eat Out to Help Out scheme will help get those sectors back on their feet during August. The Welsh Government has now heeded the call to plan for the full reopening of the tourism and hospitality sectors in Wales. The measures the UK Government has in place will help those sectors in Wales make the most of the remainder of the summer season.

Mass Media: Employment

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps he is taking to help protect jobs in the Welsh media sector; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Hart: The UK Government recognises the impact of Covid-19 on the Welsh media sector and has taken unprecedented action to protect Welsh jobs, with 378,400 jobs supported by the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and £289m provided to support 108,000 self-employed people. The UK Government recognises the huge contribution that the media sector makes to the Welsh economy and cultural life, and the important role it has played throughout lockdown in providing an invaluable source of information and entertainment. The Welsh Government will benefit from an extra £59m Barnett funding announced as part of the UK Government’s major £1.57 billion support package for the arts, museums, heritage sectors, music venues and independent cinemas to help them through the Coronavirus pandemic. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales and I have been in regular contact with stakeholders across the media sector in Wales throughout the outbreak and will continue to engage closely as the sector helps lead Wales’ recovery.

Manufacturing Industries: Coronavirus

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what estimate he has made of the financial loss to the manufacturing industry in Wales as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Simon Hart: I appreciate the huge impact Covid-19 has had on business owners and employees in the Welsh manufacturing sector and have met with stakeholders across the sector to discuss concerns. The UK Government has taken prompt and decisive action to support the economy during these difficult times. We have implemented unprecedented measures to help businesses through the outbreak, including through the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, VAT deferral and Bounce Back Loans. Our measures to keep Welsh workers in Jobs have included the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (“furlough”) and the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS). Up to 30 June 2020, 378,400 employments were furloughed and 108,000 SEISS claims worth £289m were made in Wales. Via Barnett Consequentials, the Welsh Government has received an additional £2.8bn to support the fight against Covid-19, including an additional £500m as a result of spending announced at the Summer Economic Update by the Chancellor. The UK Government has also provided a loan directly to Celsa Steel to help support them during these difficult times. This loan secured 800 positions at the company’s main site in South Wales.

Welsh Water

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has plans to restrict Welsh Water to selling water to customers living in Wales.

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will take steps to ensure that customers of Welsh Water resident in England and Wales receive consistent standards of service from that company.

Simon Hart: Welsh Water is already required in law to provide all customers in England and Wales with the same levels of service. Responsibility for water and sewerage companies operating wholly or mainly in Wales is a devolved matter. The regulation of Welsh Water is therefore a matter for the Welsh Government. Section 48 of the Wales Act 2017, when commenced, will align Senedd Cymru/the Welsh Parliament’s responsibilities for water and sewerage with the England-Wales border. The UK Government and Welsh Government are currently discussing when this change should be made. Welsh Water’s ability to sell water to customers in England and Wales will be unaffected by this change. The joint Intergovernmental Protocol on Water Resources, Water Supply and Water Quality made under the Wales Act 2017 came into effect on 1 April 2018. It provides a mechanism to enable both UK Government and Welsh Government to work together on cross-border issues to avoid any serious adverse impact on water resources, water supply or water quality in England or in Wales.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Homelessness: LGBT People

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support his Department plans to provide to LGBTQ+ youth with no recourse to public funds who are at risk of homelessness during the covid-19 outbreak.

Luke Hall: The Government is aware of concerns about those with no recourse to public funds experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 crisis.We are ensuring local authorities are supported, with £3.2 million in targeted funding to help support individuals who are sleeping rough off the streets, and an additional £3.7 billion provided to local authorities as part of the wider Government response to the COVID-19 pandemic.Funding has been provided to help local authorities to reduce risks to public health and to support individuals on the basis of need. This may include people identifying as LGBTQ+.The legal position on those with no recourse to public funds has not been amended.The Government recognises that these are unprecedented times, and expects local authorities to support people who are sleeping rough, and also to minimise unnecessary risks to public health, acting within the law.We also recognise that LGBTQ+ homelessness is an important issue, particularly among young people, and that LGBTQ+ people who find themselves homeless may have a different experience of homelessness. This Department has provided funds to both charities and local authorities which will enable to them to support their communities, including LGBTQ+ people, whether they are at risk of, or are experiencing, homelessness or rough sleeping.In particular, my Department has provided £6 million of emergency funding to frontline homelessness charitable organisations who were directly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Following a successful bidding process, over 130 charities across England are set to benefit from the fund. Successful bids included Stonewall Housing which provides housing advice and support for LGBTQ+ people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness or rough sleeping.

Materials Handling Equipment: Industrial Accidents

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has had with (a) Gateway Housing Association, (b) Tower Hamlets Council and (c) Swan Housing Association on re-housing people who have been displaced as a result of the crane collapse on 9 July 2020 at the Swan Housing Association’s Watts Grove development site in Bow.

Christopher Pincher: Tower Hamlets Council, working with its partners, is responsible for the re-housing of residents who have had to be evacuated from their homes following this tragic incident. We understand that all affected residents have temporarily been re-housed. My officials have had no direct contact with any of these organisations to date.

Planning Permission

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will list (a) the public inquiry planning decisions he has still to determine where the planning inspector’s report has been submitted to his Department and (b) the date of receipt of each of those reports from the planning inspector.

Christopher Pincher: The requested information is in the table below:Case (local planning authority)Date Inspector’s Report submitted to MHCLGHighthorn (Northumberland)29/11/17Whitehouse Farm Belper (Amber Valley) (2 cases)12/9/18Crich Lane, Belper (Amber Valley)4/4/19Broad Lane Essington & Holyhead Rd Wergs (South Staffs)13/5/19Land north of Barleycastle Lane, Appleton Thorn (Warrington)11/12/19Land Adjacent Dinnington Road, Woodsetts (Rotherham)6/1/20Ellesmere Port Wellsite, Portside One (Cheshire West and Chester)6/1/20South-west Sittingbourne/Wises Lane (Swale)13/2/20Hulton Park (Bolton)4/5/20Anglia Square (Norwich)8/6/20Citroen site, Brentford (GLA)11/6/20 There are a variety of reasons why decisions may be delayed including policy complexities, and changes in local or national policy which require further correspondence with parties.

Planning Permission

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the public inquiry planning decisions he has yet to make where a planning inspector’s report has already been submitted to his office; and if he will publish the date on which each of those planning inspectors’ reports were submitted to his office.

Christopher Pincher: The requested information is in the table below:Case (local planning authority)Date Inspector’s Report submitted to DepartmentHighthorn (Northumberland)29/11/17Whitehouse Farm Belper (Amber Valley) (2 cases)12/9/18Crich Lane, Belper (Amber Valley)4/4/19Broad Lane Essington & Holyhead Rd Wergs (South Staffs)13/5/19Land north of Barleycastle Lane, Appleton Thorn (Warrington)11/12/19Land Adjacent Dinnington Road, Woodsetts (Rotherham)6/1/20Ellesmere Port Wellsite, Portside One (Cheshire West and Chester)6/1/20South-west Sittingbourne/Wises Lane (Swale)13/2/20Hulton Park (Bolton)4/5/20Anglia Square (Norwich)8/6/20Citroen site, Brentford (GLA)11/6/20 There are a variety of reasons why decisions may be delayed including policy complexities, and changes in local or national policy which require further correspondence with parties.

Landlords: Licensing

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an estimate of the change in the level of annual revenue accruing to the public purse from a national licensing scheme for residential landlords.

Christopher Pincher: The Government has no current plans to introduce a national licensing scheme and as such it is unable to offer any estimate related to such a scheme.

Temporary accommodation: Coronavirus

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department’s press release of 23 June 2020 entitled £105 million to keep rough sleepers safe and off the streets during coronavirus pandemic, what estimate his Department has made of the number of homeless people provided with temporary accommodation through the Everyone In initiative who were (a) women and (b) women with no recourse to public funds.

Luke Hall: On 24 June we announced that we are providing local authorities with a further £105 million to enable them to best support the almost 15,000 vulnerable people placed into emergency accommodation during the COVID-19 pandemic. This commitment will help to ensure that as few of these people as possible return to the streets.On 3 June we published the management information that supports the announcements from Secretary of State and Dame Louise Casey regarding the amount of people accommodated. This management information is collected from over 300 local authorities nationally; however, we do not currently hold a breakdown of the gender of all those who have been assisted.We are continuing to work with local authorities to further understand the work they are doing to help the most vulnerable in our society. Local authorities hold the most up to date information regarding the number of people they are currently assisting.The Government is aware of concerns about those with no recourse to public funds experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 crisis.We are ensuring local authorities are supported, with £3.2 million of targeted funding previously announced to help support individuals who are sleeping rough off the streets, and an additional £3.7 billion provided to local authorities as part of the wider Government response to the COVID-19 pandemic.This funding has been provided to help local authorities to reduce risks to public health and to support individuals on the basis of need.The legal position on those with no recourse to public funds has not been amended.The Government recognises that these are unprecedented times, and expects local authorities to support people who are sleeping rough, and also to minimise unnecessary risks to public health, acting within the law.

Property Development

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of collective enfranchisement rights by property developers; and what steps he is taking to ensure the effective scrutiny of that procedure.

Luke Hall: Enfranchisement rights are used by leaseholders to acquire the freehold of their buildings. Part I of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993, as amended by the Housing Act 1996 and the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 allows for collective enfranchisement, and lease renewal rights for leaseholders of flats.The Government is looking to standardise the enfranchisement process and asked the Law Commission to review current arrangements to make them easier, quicker and cheaper. The Law Commission published its first report to Government, on the valuation aspects of enfranchisement, on 9 January 2020. The report, which follows a consultation by the Law Commission, sets out a number of options relating to valuation, including purchasing a freehold and extending the lease of a house or flat. Details can be found at https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/project/leasehold-enfranchisement/. The Law Commission will publish a report on the remaining aspects of enfranchisement shortly. The Government will carefully consider the proposals outlined in the Law Commission’s reports and set out its preferred way forward in due course.

Local Government Finance: Coronavirus

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the financial effect of covid-19 on (a) town and (b) parish councils; and what support he plans to make available to those authorities.

Mr Simon Clarke: The Government is very grateful to all parish and town councils and to their members and clerks for the vital work they are doing to support communitiesThe Department is working to understand the financial pressures that Covid-19 is placing on all local authorities, including parish and town councils. The Department will also continue to work with local government, including with representative bodies for parishes and town councils such as the National Association of Local Councils over the coming weeks to ensure the sector as a whole is managing as the pandemic progresses.The Government does not have powers to offer direct financial support to parish and town councils, which are funded through a precept collected from within the overall council tax paid by the residents of the parish or town. We would encouraging all parish and town councils to speak to their principal authority (district or unitary council) and have encouraged those authorities to facilitate those discussions where parish and towns are performing Covid-19 related services.

Housing: Construction

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has put in place to ensure that local authorities fulfill their duties to make sure that new buildings are compliant with building regulations as a result of Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review of building regulations and fire safety; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Pincher: In April 2020 the Government published our response to the consultation, Building a Safer Future, which sought views on our proposals for a radically new building safety system, based on the recommendations of Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety. We will legislate for these reforms through the Building Safety Bill, which was published today.

Help to Buy Scheme: Coronavirus

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2020 to Question 64892 on Help to Buy Scheme: Coronavirus, if he will extend the current Help to Buy scheme for first-time buyers with approved mortgages who do not qualify for the new Help to Buy scheme as a result of its financial cap.

Christopher Pincher: Homes England allow extensions to reservations that are at risk of expiring, due to recent site closures by Covid-19, for any Help to Buy customers with valid mortgage offers.Sales must still complete within the contractual deadlines for the current Help to Buy scheme ending on 31 March 2021. Therefore as it is in the interest of all parties to ensure sales complete on time, it is anticipated that developers will prioritise these existing orders accordingly.Meanwhile, we continue to work with HMT on a range of measures to support the housing sector.

Council Tax: Coronavirus

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to protect households who cannot pay council tax as a result of covid-19 related financial hardship from the re-imposition of bailiff visits on 23 August 2020.

Mr Simon Clarke: Local authorities are responsible for the collection of council tax. Anyone who is concerned about falling behind with their council tax payments should contact their council as soon as possible to discuss the support available. Guidance issued by my Department makes clear that councils should be willing to take account of individuals’ circumstances, and agree affordable and sustainable payment plans to ensure debts are paid off in a reasonable time. Councils will also be able to advise on eligibility for a reduced bill, for example through their local council tax support schemes and any additional help from the £500 million council tax hardship fund. This is part of the Government's response to COVID-19 and enables councils to provide further reductions in bills for economically vulnerable households.

Council Tax: Coronavirus

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to introduce a statutory pre-action protocol to protect households who cannot pay council tax as a result of covid-19 related financial hardship from the re-imposition of bailiff visits on 23 August 2020.

Mr Simon Clarke: The Department’s guidance on council tax collection makes clear that local authorities should take all reasonable steps to exhaust the options available to them prior to beginning enforcement action. This includes taking the individual circumstances of each billpayer into account, and agreeing an approach for dealing with vulnerable residents. Authorities should also signpost the availability of free to use debt advisers, and work with advisers to ensure that an affordable and sustainable payment plan is agreed, preventing the need for enforcement action. If enforcement action is considered appropriate after those checks, the guidance is clear that authorities should explore options such as deductions from benefits or an attachment of earnings order, prior to engaging enforcement agents.

Vulnerable Adults: Coronavirus

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) local resilience forums and (b) local authorities can meet the needs of vulnerable individuals as part of (i) Test and Trace, (ii) local lockdowns and (iii) local recovery from the covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Simon Clarke: MHCLG is in regular contact with local resilience forums (LRFs) across England, with MHCLG attending both tactical and strategic coordinating groups as necessary. Local authorities, as part of the LRF, will consider the needs of vulnerable individuals as they plan their response to, and recovery from the Covid-19 outbreak.We are working with other Government departments to support local authorities to respond to additional vulnerability created by the Covid-19 outbreak through financial support, engaging civil society and supermarkets to provide further assistance, including access to food and essential supplies.The Government has also confirmed an additional £63 million for local authorities to help those who are struggling financially due to the impact of Covid-19. This will allow authorities to step in and provide discretionary financial help to those facing severe hardship due to covid-19 and help them to pay for food and other necessities.We are working with DHSC to support local authorities to respond to Covid-19 outbreaks by ensuring capacity and accessibility is available for testing vulnerable groups. The Test and Trace scheme ensures that anyone who develops symptoms of coronavirus (Covid-19) can quickly be tested to find out if they have the virus, and also includes targeted asymptomatic testing of NHS and social care staff and care home residents.

Local Government: Coronavirus

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that (a) local resilience forums and (b) local authorities (i) engage and (ii) collaborate with the local voluntary and community sector to ensure coordinated and holistic support is provided to people affected by ​the covid-19​ outbreak as part of (A) Test and Trace, (B) local lockdown policy and (C) as part of the Government's strategy for economic recovery.

Mr Simon Clarke: MHCLG is in regular contact with local resilience forums (LRFs) across England, with MHCLG attending both tactical and strategic coordinating groups as necessary. Local authorities, as part of the LRF, will consider the needs of vulnerable individuals as they plan their response, and recovery, from the Covid-19 outbreak.We are working with other Government departments to support local authorities to respond to additional vulnerability created by the Covid-19 outbreak through financial support, engaging civil society and supermarkets to provide further assistance, including access to food and essential supplies.The Government has also confirmed an additional £63 million for local authorities to help those who are struggling financially due to the impact of Covid-19. This will allow authorities to step in and provide discretionary financial help to those facing severe hardship due to Covid-19 and help them to pay for food and other necessities.We are working with DHSC to support local authorities to respond to Covid-19 outbreaks by ensuring capacity and accessibility is available for testing vulnerable groups. The Test and Trace scheme ensures that anyone who develops symptoms of coronavirus (Covid-19) can quickly be tested to find out if they have the virus, and also includes targeted asymptomatic testing of NHS and social care staff and care home residentsMeetings of the Economic Recovery Working Group, which brings together local growth partners to discuss emerging themes and concerns across the country, have been held at both official and ministerial level. Officials will also be establishing 5 locally led task and finish groups to bring together local partners on specific recovery challenges, to foster strong collaboration between national and local partners and understand how we can support recovery.

Vulnerable Adults: Coronavirus

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to collaborate with Cabinet colleagues to provide (a) food and (b) other humanitarian support for vulnerable people as part of (a) Test and Trace, (b) Local Lockdowns and (c) the Government's programme of economic recovery after the covid1-9 outbreak.

Mr Simon Clarke: We are working with other Government departments and supporting local authorities to respond to additional vulnerability created by the COVID-19 outbreak through financial support, as well as engaging civil society and supermarkets to provide further assistance, including access to food and essential supplies.The Government has also confirmed an additional £63 million for local authorities to help those who are struggling financially due to the impact of COVID-19.We have worked with Defra to provide approximately 3.5 million free food parcels in total, and currently around 250,000 each week, to people in England who are shielding and have said they need support getting essential food supplies.The Government has also announced up to £16 million to provide food for charities and other organisations supporting those who are struggling financially as a result of coronavirus. As part of this, Defra has also opened up the £3.5 million Food Charities Grant Fund for front-line food aid charities, offering grants up to £100,000 to support charities to continue to provide food to vulnerable people.We are working with DHSC to support local authorities to respond to Covid-19 outbreaks by ensuring capacity and accessibility is available for testing vulnerable groups. The Test and Trace scheme ensures that anyone who develops symptoms of coronavirus can quickly be tested to find out if they have the virus, and also includes targeted asymptomatic testing of NHS and social care staff and care home residents.

Local Government: Coronavirus

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure local authorities have the (a) responsibility, (b) funding and (c) guidance to provide (i) food, (ii) ​shelter and (iii) emotional support as part of the Government's (A) programme of response and recovery in response to the covid-19 outbreak and (B) planning for future emergencies.

Mr Simon Clarke: My Department has been working closely with local councils and sector representing organisations throughout the response to this crisis to understand the challenges they face. We have a number of established engagement channels in place to help ensure effective communication.We are providing local authorities with an unprecedented package of support, allocating £4.3billion of support for expenditure pressures, including £3.7 billion of un-ringfenced grants and the £600 million Infection Control Fund.The Government announced up to £16 million to provide food for charities and other organisations supporting those who are struggling financially as a result of coronavirus.£3.2 million in emergency funding for local authorities has also been announced to support vulnerable rough sleepers . Nearly 15,000 vulnerable people have been housed in emergency accommodation, including hotels, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.Building on this, we announced that Dame Louise Casey is spearheading a Taskforce to lead the next phase of the Government’s support for rough sleepers during this pandemic.On 24 May, the Secretary of State announced plans for thousands of long-term, safe homes to support many of the vulnerable rough sleepers who have been supported during the Covid-19 pandemic. This unprecedented commitment – the biggest of its kind since the Government’s Rough Sleeping Initiative began – will be backed by £160 million in 2020/21 to inject 3,300 new units of accommodation into the system over the following 12 months, part of 6,000 in total.On 24 June we  announced that we are providing local authorities with a further £105 million to enable them to best support those placed into emergency accommodation during the pandemic.

Private Rented Housing: Coronavirus

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 May 2020 to Question 45293 on Private Rented Housing: Coronavirus, what criteria his Department uses to determine the needs of (a) tenants and (b) landlords in relation to the lifting of the temporary ban on evictions from residential properties.

Christopher Pincher: On 5 June the Government announced that the current suspension of possession proceedings would be extended by two months until 23 August 2020. This means that no action to evict a tenant will proceed before 24 August 2020.The Government listens to a variety of stakeholders that represent landlords and tenants. As the Government takes steps in the next phase of the COVID-19 response, we will consider how measures should adapt to ensure they reflect public health guidance and the changing nature of this wider context recognising the interests of both tenants and landlords.

Sleeping Rough

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 May 2020 to Question 40670, how many people were recorded as sleeping rough in the second quarter of 2020.

Luke Hall: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



MHCLG collect an annual official snapshot of rough sleeping which is verified by Homeless Link and provides information about the estimated number of people sleeping rough on a single night between 1 October and 30 November each year, along with some basic demographic details. This was last released in February 2020 and showed a total figure of 4,266 rough sleepers on any given night, 9% lower than the previous year. The next annual snapshot is due to take place in autumn 2020. Regarding the numbers of people currently rough sleeping, local authorities currently hold the most up to date information.

Rough Sleeping: Coronavirus

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June 2020 to Question 60812, what data his Department collects from local authorities on the amount they have spent on providing accommodation for rough sleepers under the Everybody In initiative.

Luke Hall: The first two rounds of the Covid-19 financial monitoring survey have now been published. These show that between March-May 2020, additional local authority expenditure due to Covid-19 for housing services, including homelessness services, was £63 million. We will publish a summary of the results from the third round in due course.Further details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-covid-19-financial-impact-monitoring-information.

Affordable Housing: Construction

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the potential effect on the number of affordable homes for rent or sale which will be built as a result of removing planning requirements for some property development applications as set out by the Prime Minister on 30 June 2020.

Christopher Pincher: Our proposals to introduce new permitted development rights to create new homes will mean that more homes to buy or rent will be delivered than would otherwise be the case. We have not made any estimates of how many of these extra homes will be affordable homes.

Housing Occupancy: Coronavirus

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking with local authorities to ensure that people living in multigenerational households are aware of the latest advice on their increased vulnerability of contracting covid-19.

Mr Simon Clarke: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Firstport and A2dominion

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had in the last six months with (a) Firstport and (b) A2Dominion on their level of service charges for leaseholders and the quality of service they provide to them.

Luke Hall: The Secretary of State has not had discussions with the organisations Firstport or A2Dominion regarding their use of service charges within the last six months. The Government believes very strongly that service charges should be fair, transparent and communicated effectively wherever they are used, and that there should be a clear route to challenge or redress if things go wrong.

Property Development

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the level of importance of archaeological surveys ahead of developments in his proposals to streamline the planning system.

Christopher Pincher: The Government is committed to the protection of the historic environment. Heritage considerations, including the need for archaeological surveys, will continue to be taken into account in bringing forward any planning reforms.

Firstport and A2dominion

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether representatives from (a) Firstport and (b) A2Dominion have participated in departmental (i) committees and (ii) advisory boards on (A) policy development and (B) departmental priorities in the last three years.

Luke Hall: Representatives from Firstport and A2Dominion attended an official led technical working group for reviewing leasehold major works consultations (Section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985) in 2017/18, last meeting in April 2018. Firstport and A2Dominion have not participated in any further departmental committees or advisory boards on policy development or departmental priorities in the last three years.

*No heading*

Afzal Khan: Whether his Department plans to provide financial support to (a) places of worship and (b) faith organisations to help them to reopen safely as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Robert Jenrick: I am very grateful to faith leaders across the country for the leadership they have shown on behalf of their communities during this crisis.I am also grateful to the Places of Worship Taskforce, which met again last week, and which has been extremely productive. There are still issues we are working through together, including music for services and singing.As of the 4th of July, places of worship were allowed to re-open with social distancing in place. Today they are able to hold services, or lead communal worship, and important events in the lives of their communities, such as weddings and funerals. Faith organisations have been able to apply for a range of Government-backed financial packages which support charities and businesses.

*No heading*

Bambos Charalambous: What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of Government funding for local authorities in England.

Mr Simon Clarke: We have now made £4.3 billion available to local authorities to address expenditure pressures caused by COVID-19, including £3.7 billion of unringfenced grants and the £600 million Infection Control Fund.We are using monthly data collections and conversations with councils and the LGA to refine our assessment of costs and develop a good understanding of the pressures local authorities are currently facing.

*No heading*

James Cartlidge: What steps he is taking to reform the planning system in England.

Robert Jenrick: Our seven-decade old planning system is in need of an overhaul, and we will shortly be publishing a planning Policy Paper in the summer setting out our proposals for comprehensive reform.These reforms will deliver more high-quality, well-designed homes, and beautiful and greener communities for people to live in.Alongside this we continue to create new planning freedoms to support the high street and create new homes – including new Permitted Development Rights and Use Class Order reform.

*No heading*

Wera Hobhouse: What steps the Government is taking to tackle the risk of local authorities becoming insolvent as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Simon Clarke: We recognise the additional costs and pressures councils are facing as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak. We have made £3.7 billion available to councils through an un-ringfenced grant so they can address these pressures. We will continue to work with local government to ensure they are managing as the pandemic progresses.

*No heading*

Zarah Sultana: What plans his Department has to prevent tenants who have fallen into arrears as a result of financial hardship caused by the covid-19 outbreak being evicted from privately rented properties.

Christopher Pincher: The Government has offered unprecedented support to help prevent people getting into financial hardship or rent arrears.We legislated to delay when landlords can evict tenants and the Master of the Rolls, with the support of the Government, paused eviction proceedings for five months, until 23 August. These measures are helping to ensure no-one loses their home this summer as a result of coronavirus.

*No heading*

Paul Howell: What support he is providing to help local authorities experiencing a reduction in income during the covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Simon Clarke: We have announced a sales, fees and charges co-payment scheme to compensate for irrecoverable losses in 2020/21 where those are above the level they could have been expected to plan for. We will also extend the period over which councils must manage shortfalls in local tax income relating to 2020-21. Further details of how we will support councils to manage tax losses will be announced at the spending review.

*No heading*

Jo Gideon: What steps he is taking to support housebuilding on brownfield land.

Suzanne Webb: What steps he is taking to support housebuilding on brownfield land.

Christopher Pincher: I’m delighted that the Prime Minister recently announced that seven Mayoral Combined Authorities, including the West Midlands Combined Authority, are each receiving a share of the £400 million Brownfield Housing Fund. This will help unlock 26,000 homes by bringing under-utilised brownfield land back into use and contribute to the levelling-up our country.

*No heading*

Tom Randall: What additional support he is providing to local authorities during the covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Simon Clarke: Government recognises the pressures councils face from Covid-19. We are providing councils with an unprecedented package of support, allocating £4.3 billion for spending pressures, including £3.7 billion of unringfenced grants and the £600 million Infection Control Fund.Overall, Government has committed nearly £28 billion to support councils, their communities and businesses.

*No heading*

Michael Fabricant: What guidance his Department issues to local authorities on their membership of local enterprise partnerships; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Simon Clarke: The Department has provided clear guidance on the membership of Local Enterprise Partnerships through our National Local Growth Assurance Framework.Each Local Enterprise Partnership is required to set out the membership requirements of their Board and Sub-Boards in a Local Assurance Framework which should be published on their website.

Sleeping Rough: Coronavirus

Andrew Rosindell: What progress he has made on finding accommodation for rough sleepers during the covid-19 outbreak.

Luke Hall: On 26th March I wrote to local authority leaders, asking them to bring ‘Everybody In’.We saw a phenomenal response; due to the hard work of councils, charities and volunteers, 15,000 rough sleepers and vulnerable people have been housed in hotels and other forms of emergency accommodation, since the start of the pandemic.We are also providing £105 million for interim accommodation and £160 million for long term accommodation, which includes funding to make 3,300 new supported homes available in the next 12 months.

First Time Buyers: Government Assistance

Andy Carter: What plans he has to help first-time buyers to purchase their own homes.

Robert Jenrick: This Government will reset our national homeownership offer – ensuring local people and key workers have the opportunity to build a life in their own community.First Homes, our new homeownership programme, will discount homes by at least 30 per cent for key workers, local people, and first-time buyers – including those who have done so much to respond to the Covid-19 outbreak. We recently closed our consultation on First Homes and will publish our response soon.At the same time our new £12 billion investment in affordable homes will create thousands of new homes for Shared Ownership.And all of this adds to other Government-backed schemes, including Help to Buy, which have supported over 627,000 households into homeownership since 2010.

Cabinet Office

Waheed Saleem

Gary Sambrook: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the suitability of Waheed Saleem for the post of deputy Police and Crime Commissioner; and whether Waheed Saleem is a member of the Community and Voluntary Service Honours Committee.

Chloe Smith: The appointment of deputy Police and Crime Commissioners is a matter for democratically elected Police and Crime Commissioners. All public office holders are subject to the Nolan Principles of Public Office.Details of the Honours Committee are available on GOV.UK.

UK Relations with EU: Clinical Trails and Drugs

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK-EU future relationship enables UK participation in EU-funded multinational (a) clinical trials and (b) research collaborations on (i) covid-19 treatments and (ii) other medicines after the end of the transition period.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK-EU future relationship does not introduce delays to the movement of goods and people in relation to the (a) supply of medicines and (b) maintenance of vital machinery and equipment in the event of a future pandemic after the end of the transition period.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK maintains access the EU’s RescEU stockpile of (a) ventilators (b) protective masks and (c) other related equipment after the end of the transition period.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government is committed to ensuring the UK remains a global leader in life sciences and continues to collaborate with European and other countries on scientific research. At the end of the UK transition period, clinical trials will continue to be approved at a national level, working to international standards as they are now. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) along with partners in the UK healthcare system, has taken steps to ensure that all trials, including multinational trials, can continue. The UK is collaborating extensively with international partners in the research effort against COVID-19 and we will continue to do so after the end of the UK transition period.The UK’s approach to the future relationship negotiations sets out our ambition to reach an agreement that would facilitate trade in medicinal products. However, any responsible Government has a duty to prepare for all scenarios and have robust contingency plans in place. We continue to hold stockpiles to cope with a range of scenarios.We are doing everything we can to ensure our health and social care staff have the equipment they need to tackle Covid-19 virus. Sourcing sufficient PPE is an international challenge and we are working with many international partners, including the EU. In terms of ventilators, as a result of the Ventilator Challenge the NHS has significantly increased supply.

Agriculture: North Wales

Simon Baynes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to ensure business readiness in the agricultural sector in northern Wales at the end of the transition period.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government is working to support agricultural businesses right across the country in getting ready for the end of the UK transition period. Further details of our actions and the steps which businesses in northern Wales and across the UK need to take can be found on gov.uk/transition.

Animal Housing: Cats and Dogs

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to include kennels and catteries in the Standard Industrial Classification codes within the Accommodation and Food Service Activities sector.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.



UKSA response
(PDF Document, 110.56 KB)

Cabinet Office: Cybercrime and Digital Technology

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much funding his Department has allocated to (a) digital skills and (b) cyber skills; and to whom that funding has been allocated.

Penny Mordaunt: Government Digital Service (GDS) leads the Government’s Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) function. The GDS Academy provides training.Regarding cyber skills, I refer the Hon. member to the answer given to PQs 53531 and 52225 on 09 June 2020. Details of funding are published in the Cabinet Office annual reports.

Economic Situation: United Kingdom

Paul Girvan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will meet the hon. Member for South Antrim and investors to discuss (a) strengthening the Union and (b) working together to ensure that the economy recovers in all four nations of the UK.

Chloe Smith: As set out in our Manifesto, this Government is fully committed to strengthening the bonds between our four great nations. This includes providing unprecedented economic support, £160 billion to protect people’s jobs, incomes and businesses across every part of the UK, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.Ministers are always willing to meet with fellow Members to discuss how we can work in the most effective way possible, to realise fully all the associated benefits of being a United Kingdom. Our officials will be in touch with your office to arrange details.

Ethnic Groups: Equality

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Racial Disparity Unit's explain or change communications strategy was announced; what the cost to the public purse was of that strategy; and what assessment he has made of that strategy's efficiency in promoting change.

Julia Lopez: I refer the Hon. Member to the answers to PQ 59728 on 16 June 2020 and PQ 62369 on 24 June 2020.The details of expenditure are published regularly on GOV.UK.

Ethnic Groups: Equality

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Explain or change campaign continues to inform the work of the Racial Disparity Unit.

Julia Lopez: I refer the Hon. Member to the answers to PQ 59728 on 16 June 2020 and PQ 62369 on 24 June 2020.The details of expenditure are published regularly on GOV.UK.

National Underground Asset Register: Finance

Helen Hayes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to Unlocking the Power of Location, the Government’s Geo-Spatial Strategy 2020-2025, how much funding the Government has allocated to the delivery of the National Underground Assets Register.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to Unlocking the Power of Location, the Government’s Geo-Spatial Strategy 2020-2025, what the timescale is for the (a) commencement and (b) completion of the establishment of a National Underground Assets Register.

Julia Lopez: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 55137 on 10 July 2020.Details of Cabinet Office expenditure are published online and available in annual reports. Future funding allocations will be determined in the usual way.

UK Trade with EU: Northern Ireland

Louise Haigh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the document entitled, The UK's Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol,  CP226, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of the reimbursement of tariffs for goods imported into Northern Ireland that remain in the UK customs territory.

Penny Mordaunt: Zero cost to the public purse.

Department for International Trade

Saudi Arabia: Human Rights

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to her Written Statement HC WS339, whether she will publish the assessment that evaluated if Saudi Arabia had broken International Humanitarian Law; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: HM Government have no plans to publish the assessments to which the Rt Hon. Gentleman refers. Such assessments use all available sources of information – including some that are necessarily confidential and sensitive – so we are not able to provide details of the assessments.

Iron and Steel: Imports

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of (a) the existing level of UK demand for steel and (b) the potential merits of reducing the proposed UK tariff free quotas for steel imports from 1 January 2021; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: HM Government has been working closely with the British steel industry, including on steel safeguards to protect industry from unforeseen surges in imports. Current data shows that steel demand was down 24 per cent in the United Kingdom during the first four months of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019. Our priority is to make sure that, at the end of the transition period, our domestic industry retains appropriate trade remedy protections. That is why we have committed to carrying across existing measures where there is a British interest, including steel safeguards, and are then reviewing them to make them tailored to the needs of the United Kingdom.

Developing Countries: Dispute Resolution

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the risk of litigation for developing countries through the Investor-state dispute settlement mechanism as a result of those countries' covid-19 response.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: The United Kingdom has investment agreements with Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions with over 90 trading partners. HM Government recognises the importance of strengthen-ing international investment in response to COVID-19, and the continuing important role played by both investment protection and ISDS provisions in safeguarding British investors overseas – includ-ing pensioners across the country through their pension funds, and small and medium-sized enter-prises (SMEs).We are clear that HM Government and our treaty partners retain the right to regulate in the public interest, including for public health purposes, that is already recognised under international law. There has never been a successful ISDS claim against the United Kingdom, nor has the threat of potential claims affected our legislation.

Liquefied Natural Gas: Mozambique

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether UK Export Finance is contributing to the agreed financing contracts for the Mozambique LNG Project; what the value is of export credits granted to that project; and if she will make a statement.

Graham Stuart: UK Export Finance (UKEF) has agreed to provide up to US$1.15bn of export finance support for UK exporters, as part of the design, construction and operation of a liquified natural gas (LNG) project in Mozambique. UKEF support is in the form of up to $300m of direct loans, and up to $850m in guarantees to the commercial banks providing lending.The UKEF-supported element will support multiple UK businesses across the UK, including small and medium-sized enterprises, and in excess of 2,000 UK jobs.The Project will generate significant revenue for Mozambique and be transformational for Mozambique’s economic and social development.

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-pacific Partnership

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans she has to negotiate membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership; and what derogations from its treaties would she seek.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: Accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) could help Britain increase her trade and investment opportunities, diversify her trading links and supply chains, and secure her future place in the world at the centre of a modern network of Free Trade Agreements with dynamic economies.HM Government continue to have discussions on CPTPP accession with member countries at official and ministerial level, as part of our preparatory engagement. In our engagement, we are clear that any final decision to join CPTPP will consider the progress of bilateral negotiations with member countries and whether accession will be in the British national interest.

Foreign Investment in UK: North East

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which countries have been the ten largest foreign direct investors in the North East of England in each of the last three years.

Graham Stuart: Further to my Department’s publication, DIT Inward Investment Results 2019-20 [https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/department-for-international-trade-inward-investment-results-2019-to-2020], the following is a breakdown of the top sources for foreign direct investment projects landing in the UK’s North East of England Region in the three financial years from 2017 to 2020: Country or world region2017/182018/192019/20United States191528Non-EU241924EU262521 Definitions of the world regions are found in the quoted publication. Please note that the values from the United States are deducted from the Non-EU region. Due to the commercially sensitive information and considerations relating to disclosure of the investing organisations involved, we are unable to provide more granular detail.

Trade and Agriculture Commission: Public Appointments

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the announcement of the membership of the Trade and Agriculture Commission, if she will make it her policy to add independent (a) consumer interest and (b) public health experts to that membership; and for what reasons experts in those fields are not currently included.

Greg Hands: The Trade and Agriculture Commission has a cross-section of representatives covering the interests of the agriculture sector, consumers, animal health, international development, hospitality, food small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and retail. Beyond the membership of the Commission itself, there will be ways for relevant experts to contribute to the work of the Commission.

Department for International Trade: Apprentices

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department is taking to reach the public sector apprenticeship target.

Greg Hands: The Department for International Trade (DIT) is committed to building a diverse, inclusive and expert department. Apprenticeships play an important role in delivering that commitment and helping our employees to achieve their full potential. DIT offers a range of apprenticeships across different disciplines to build both individual and departmental professional capability. This year, we exceeded our Civil Service target (of 51) with 57 new apprenticeship starts. We have achieved this by: Putting in place good quality apprenticeships that reflect DIT priorities and with the right level of support for participants.Offering (where appropriate) an apprenticeship qualification when recruiting to some entry-level roles externally.Targeting key capability priorities within our current workforce, giving them additional opportunities to retrain and up-skill. We intend to maintain this and have every confidence that we will achieve the target of 2.3% by March 2021 as part of the Civil Service.

Trade Agreements: Dispute Resolution

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the Government's response to the covid-19 pandemic on the number of investor state dispute settlement (ISDS) cases; what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) co-operating with other countries, especially those in the Global South, to jointly withdraw consent to ISDS arbitration and (b) unilaterally withdrawing consent to ISDS arbitration before the first cases are brought arising from the covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make it her policy to exclude ISDS from all trade and investment negotiations involving the UK and not to sign any new agreements including ISDS.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: The precise details of any future Free Trade Agreement are a matter for formal negotiations, and we would not seek to pre-empt these discussions. HM Government recognises the importance of strengthening international investment in response to COVID-19, and the continuingly important role played by both investment protection and ISDS provisions in safeguarding British investors overseas – including pensioners across the country, through their pension funds, and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We are clear that HM Government and our treaty partners retain the right to regulate in the public interest, including for public health purposes, which is already recognised under international law.

Liquefied Natural Gas: Mozambique

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2020 to Question 63442 on Liquefied Natural Gas: Mozambique, if her Department will (a) undertake and (b) publish an Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment (ESHR) independent of the ESHR published by the private financiers of the Mozambique LNG project.

Graham Stuart: In line with its regular policy, UK Export Finance (UKEF) has undertaken an environmental, social and human rights (ESHR) review of the Mozambique LNG Project. This has been conducted alongside other export credit agencies and the African Development Bank, with the support of an independent ESHR consultant.This review considered all the relevant ESHR documentation provided by the Project sponsors such as ESHR impact assessments, strategies, management and monitoring plans, amongst others. UKEF published a Category A notice of its consideration of the Project in August 2019, which includes a link to an Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment (ESHIA) of the Mozambique LNG project and related information. This notice can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/category-a-project-under-consideration-mozambique-lng-project. In undertaking its review, UKEF considered the most up-to-date ESHIA.

Trade Agreements

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what her objectives are in negotiations on international trade agreements with (a) Turkey, (b) Canada and (c) Mexico.

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when she plans to conclude international trade agreements with (a) Turkey, (b) Canada and (c) Mexico.

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans she has to share negotiating texts with parties who have signed non-disclosure agreements in respect of negotiations of international trade agreements with (a)Turkey, (b) Canada and (c) Mexico.

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions her trade negotiators have had on tariff schedules, product conformity, rules of origin and other technical regulations with their counterparts in (a) Turkey, (b) Canada and (c) Mexico in relation to negotiating international trade agreements with those countries.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: The United Kingdom’s ambition is to sign continuity trade agreements with (a) Turkey; (b) Canada; and (c) Mexico by the end of the transition period to make sure that existing trade flows are protected, as far as possible. To this end, our trade negotiators have engaged in technical discussions, including on tariffs, rules of origin and regulatory matters. Consistent with the approach taken for all previous continuity trade agreements, agreement texts will be shared publicly after they have been laid before Parliament. My Department organises regular meetings with industry to keep them as informed as possible on our progress in this important work.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Music: Coronavirus

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what support his Department will provide to independent music venues during the covid-19 outbreak.

Caroline Dinenage: On Sunday 5 July 2020, the Secretary of State announced a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range of cultural and creative sectors. We continue to speak with HM Treasury colleagues to ensure that the full spectrum of government support reaches the UK's world-leading music industry. Our recovery work for this sector is being delivered via the ministerially-chaired Events and Entertainment Working Group, which was established to support the Secretary of State’s Cultural Renewal Taskforce. The Music Venue Trust is an active and valued member of the Working Group, the focus of which is to produce sector-led guidance for the safe reopening of a range of creative industries sectors, including live music venues.

Broadband: Costs

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to support people who have been told by BT OpenReach that the costs for broadband for their properties under the Universal Service Obligation will be £10,00 or more.

Matt Warman: As the independent regulator, Ofcom is responsible for ensuring that both of the designated Universal Service Providers, BT and KCOM, comply with the conditions that the regulator has placed upon them. Ofcom expects that quotes should explain the nature of the costs involved and include a clear explanation of the work required to deliver the specific connection. Ofcom has previously estimated that the combination of commercially available services and the USO will reach 99.8% of premises in the UK.If a customer believes that the cost of installing their broadband connection has been calculated incorrectly they can refer their complaint to the Ombudsman Service, free of charge.The government is committed to delivering gigabit capable connectivity across the UK as soon as possible. As part of the 2020 Budget, the government committed to invest a further £5 billion to help support the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband in the hardest to reach parts of the country, including to premises without a broadband service that meets the broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) specification.PCT Checked PS Checked Spad Checked Ministerial Approval The government is working to have the new £5bn delivery programme up and running as soon as possible, and intends to start procuring the first contracts next year. We will publish more information in due course.In the meantime, households with poor broadband connections in rural areas may be able to benefit from the government’s existing Gigabit Voucher Scheme, which provides vouchers worth £1,500 per home and up to £3,500 for each small to medium-sized business (SME) to support the cost of installing faster and more reliable gigabit connections. Communities can also combine vouchers to further reduce the costs of installation.

Dance: Coronavirus

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the different roles and facilities of (a) dance studios and (b) dance schools accredited by OFQAL in guidance issued on the covid-19 outbreak.

Caroline Dinenage: Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active. As announced on 9 July, from 11 July, outdoor swimming pools will be able to open and from 25 July indoor gyms, dance studios, leisure centres (including sports halls) and swimming pools in England should be able to reopen. These facilities will be able to offer on-site services to customers, provided they are COVID-secure and follow Government guidance. The updated guidance can be found at the GOV.UK website and includes advice for providers of pool, gym and leisure facilities on cleaning, social distancing, and protection for staff to help venues get back up and running safely.

Leisure and Tourism: Bus Services

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will have discussions with the (a) Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) Secretary of State for Transport on the importance of coach operators in supporting the UK leisure and tourism sector.

Nigel Huddleston: Coach tour operators play a vital role in the UK tourism sector, connecting holidaymakers with our country’s vibrant seaside resorts and areas of natural beauty. We recognise that these remain extremely difficult conditions for tourism businesses, and we are alert to the specific pressures that coach tour operators face. My officials and I regularly speak with the Association of British Travel Agents through the Visitor Economy Working Group, as well as the Coach Tourism Association through the Tourism Industry Emergency Response Group. I will continue to engage with my colleagues in the Treasury and the Department for Transport on the importance of all aspects of the tourism sector, including coach operators.

Sports Competitors: Health

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he will take to safeguard the welfare of gymnasts receiving UK Sport funding; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he will take to safeguard the welfare of athletes receiving UK Sport funding; and if he will make a statement.

Nigel Huddleston: It is vital that everyone participating in sport feels safe and secure and that where allegations of inappropriate or harmful behaviour are made, these are taken seriously. There is no place for abuse of any kind in sport and anyone responsible for such behaviour must be held accountable. I wrote to British Gymnastics on 9th July, expressing my concerns at the emerging allegations of abuse. I welcome their decision to step aside from the review they had initially announced, and to allow UK Sport and Sport England to co-commission a fully independent review. All organisations in receipt of public funding from Sport England and UK Sport have been required to meet the standards set out in the Code for Sports Governance since April 2017. The Code contains specific obligations around safeguarding, including a requirement for national governing bodies to adhere to the Standards for Safeguarding and Protecting Children in Sport, which are issued by the Child Protection in Sport Unit. My department will follow the independent review and its findings closely and will continue to work with Sport England, UK Sport and the Child Protection in Sport Unit to strengthen safeguarding provision wherever possible.

Bowling: Coronavirus

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when ten pin bowling alleys will be allowed to reopen subject to social distancing arrangements as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans to enable bowling alleys to reopen.

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reason bowling alleys were not included in the reopening of businesses on 4, 11 and 13 July 2020.

Nigel Huddleston: Physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active. From 1 August, we will reopen bowling alleys. The Government is committed to reopening leisure facilities and visitor attractions, including bowling alleys, as soon as it is safe to do so. The Sport Working Group and the Visitor Economy Working Group both feed into the Cultural Renewal Taskforce, and ensure strong sector and expert support for the co-development of guidance. This will help ten pin bowling alleys become Covid-19 Secure and re-open as early as possible.As with all aspects of the Government’s response to Covid-19, our decisions will continue to be based on scientific evidence and public health assessments.

Dance: Coronavirus

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will publish guidance for dance studios, who are due to reopen on 25 July 2020, on (a) partner dancing if couples are from the same household and (b) differentiation in high, medium and low impact sports and the class size restrictions and space requirements for each.

Nigel Huddleston: Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active. As announced on 9 July, from 11 July, outdoor swimming pools will be able to open and from 25 July indoor gyms, dance studios, leisure centres (including sports halls) and swimming pools in England should be able to reopen. These facilities will be able to offer on-site services to customers, provided they are COVID-secure and follow Government guidance. Those dancing within their own household group should follow current guidelines on social mixing, and can refer to the Performing Arts guidance. The updated guidance can be found at the GOV.UK website. Guidance for providers of grassroots sport and gym/leisure facilities includes mitigating risk measures such as:Reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘fixed teams or partnering’ (so each person works with only a few others).Maximum capacity should be based on the government requirement for social distancing, nature of activities (i.e. if the activity is static vs. requiring a range of movement) and equipment layout and the configuration of facilities.

Data Protection

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to publish the National Data Strategy for the UK in 2020.

Mr John Whittingdale: This government is committed to delivering an ambitious, pro-growth National Data Strategy. In the global recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, data will be more vital than ever, underpinning our future resilience and future economy. We aim to publish the strategy in 2020.

Huawei: Equipment

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to update the House on the purchase of Huawei equipment between July 2020 and the implementation of the ban on buying new Huawei equipment in January 2021.

Matt Warman: The Secretary of State set out in his statement to the House on ‘UK Telecommunications’ on 14 July that the Government will bring forward the Telecoms Security Bill in the Autumn. During the passage of the Bill, the Government will update Parliament on progress made with respect to telecoms security and high risk vendors.The Secretary of State also confirmed that he would report regularly to Parliament to update Members on the progress of the measures outlined in his statement. This includes monthly appearances in the House for DCMS questions.

Telecommunications: Russia

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment has he made of the level of threat posed by Russia to the integrity and security of the UK's communications networks.

Matt Warman: The government’s approach to securing the UK’s telecommunications networks is underpinned by world-leading security analysis from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). This analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of the risks and threats faced by the UK telecoms sector, and is informed by, inter alia, details of previous attacks on the UK telecoms networks, and the NCSC’s knowledge of global attacks on telecoms systems, regardless of the attacker. The NCSC’s security analysis is subject to constant review as the risks and threats change, and their advice to the government is updated accordingly. The Telecoms Security Bill will ensure we have the powers we need to drive up security standards and control the presence of High Risk Vendors. The new security framework will be one of the strongest regimes for telecoms security in the world, which will look to address the vulnerabilities exploited by cyber attackers, including those from Russia.

Internet: Pornography

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment the Government has made of the effect on child safety in respect of exposure to pornographic websites of its decision to delay the introduction of statutory age verification for such websites by bringing forward further legislation rather than implementing Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act 2017.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment the Government made of the (a) potential number of additional viewing incidences by children in of online pornography and (b) effect on child wellbeing of such viewing in its decision to delay the requirement for statutory age verification checks by bringing forward new legislative proposals rather than implementing Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act 2017.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment the Government make of the child safety implications of delaying the provision of statutory age verification by bringing forward new legislative proposals rather than implementing Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act 2017.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the length of time it will take to introduce age verification for pornographic websites through an alternative option instead of implementing Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act 2017.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he had with children's charities ahead of the decision to delay the introduction of statutory age verification for pornographic websites by bringing forward new legislative proposals rather than implementing Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act 2017.

Caroline Dinenage: The government is committed to ensuring children are protected from accessing inappropriate content online. As we announced on 16 October last year, the government has decided that the policy objective of protecting children online from age inappropriate content can be best delivered through our wider online harms proposals. Our Online Harms proposals will deliver a higher level of protection for children and we expect companies to use a proportionate range of tools, including age assurance and age verification technologies, to prevent children accessing age-inappropriate content such as online pornography. This approach will achieve a more consistent and comprehensive approach to harmful content across different sites and go further than the Digital Economy Act’s focus on online pornography on commercial adult sites. We will publish a Full Government Response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation later this year. We will follow the full Government Response with legislation, which we are working on at pace, and will be introduced when parliamentary time allows. The British Board of Film Classification, while designated as the age verification regulator under the Digital Economy Act, commissioned research on children’s access to pornographic content online. The research, published in early 2020, explored young people’s interactions with, and attitudes towards, online pornography and age verification. We will continue to develop our evidence base on online harms ahead of the implementation of the new online harms regulatory framework. As a result of Covid-19 lockdown measures we expect more people, including children, to be spending more time online. Although it is too early to confidently analyse patterns from this period, there is universal concern about child online safety. We are working closely with technology companies, law enforcement and civil society to monitor trends, and to support users to understand and manage the risks and benefits of being online during this period. Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions with a wide range of stakeholders, including children’s charities, on a variety of issues. We engaged with a number of children’s charities on our proposals to protect children through the new online harms regulatory framework, as part of our wider public consultation on the Online Harms White Paper last year. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the Gov.uk website.

Outdoor Recreation: Coronavirus

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions officials in his Department have had with organisers of commercial metal-detecting rallies in relation to (a) public safety and (b) protection of archaeology as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance his Department has issued to organisers of commercial metal-detecting rallies in relation to the protection of in-situ archaeology as social distancing rules are relaxed as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what in-situ (a) hoards and (b) other archaeological finds found on metal-detecting rallies and club events have been excavated without archaeological support in 2020; what assessment his Department has made of the level of loss to knowledge of those excavations.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what requirements are placed on organisers of commercial rallies to (a) report Treasure, (b) follow best practice, (c) ensure that in-situ archaeology is protected and (d) ensure that archaeological finds made on their events are lawfully exported.

Caroline Dinenage: Guidance for both individual metal detectorists and organisers of events operating during the covid-19 lockdown was published on the gov.uk page Guidance on searching for archaeological finds in England during COVID-19 on 9 July 2020. The guidance points organisers to directions on operating inside and outside events and also advises organisers and finders what to do if they discover a new archaeological site. The page also directs finders and organisers to the National Council for Metal Detecting guidance on best practice when detecting. Rallies and club events are legally permitted and take place on private property with the landowner’s consent, The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport does not currently monitor or record activities at these events. Responsibility for reporting possible treasure finds and arranging for an export licence lies with the finder and owner of the cultural object. Guidance on reporting treasure and applying for an export licence during the present situation is included on the gov.uk pages Guidance on searching for archaeological finds in England during COVID-19 and Export art, antiques and cultural goods: special rules. Anyone not reporting a potential treasure find or not obtaining an export licence where necessary can be subject to legal sanctions.

ICT: Huawei

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential risks to national security of use of Huawei’s (a) smart phone, (b) tablet and (c) other consumer devices operations in the UK.

Matt Warman: The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) conducts world-leading security analysis into the risks and threats faced by the UK telecoms sector, including consumer devices. In light of US sanctions against Huawei, the NCSC published explanatory guidance regarding their advice to the government on the ongoing security of Huawei’s telecoms equipment: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/information/huawei-advice-what-you-need-to-know. This included information for Huawei customers detailing the potential impacts on customers in the UK. The NCSC’s security analysis is subject to constant review as the risks and threats change.

Leader of the House

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Sir Graham Brady: To ask the Leader of the House, what covid-19 related provisions the Government has put in place since 1 March 2020; under what statutory powers each provision was put in place; on what date each provision was (a) announced and (b) laid before Parliament; and on what date each provision (i) came into force and (ii) was approved by Parliament.

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: Since 1 March 2020, and as of Monday 20 July, the Government has laid 127 statutory instruments in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. This has enabled the Government to swiftly put in place the legislation needed and we will continue to bring forward further SIs for Parliament to consider, as required. The table below provides a list of each SI, outlining the powers it was made under; the date it was laid before Parliament; the date the SI came into force; and, where applicable, the date it was approved by Parliament.The Government continues to make every effort to ensure that announcements are made in good time ahead of the legislation being brought forward, while balancing the need for urgent action to deal with the pandemic.Table of Statutory Instruments laid since 1 March 2020DepartmentTitlePower it is made underProcedureLaying dateComing into force dateApproved in ParliamentDHSCThe Health Protection (Notification) (Amendment) Regulations 2020Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984Negative06/03/2005/03/20N/ADWPThe Statutory Sick Pay (General) (Coronavirus Amendment) Regulations 2020Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992Negative12/03/2013/03/20N/ADWPUniversal Credit and Employment Support Allowance Amendment Regulations 2020 and theirSocial Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992Negative12/03/2013/03/20N/ADWPUniversal Credit and Employment Support Allowance Amendment (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2020Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992Negative12/03/2013/03/20N/ADWPThe Statutory Sick Pay (General) (Coronavirus Amendment) No.2 Regulations 2020Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992Negative16/03/2017/03/20N/AHMTFinancial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Exemption) (Amendment) Order 2020Financial Services and Markets Act 2000Negative20/03/2023/03/20N/ADefraSingle Use Carrier Bags Charges (England) (Amendment) Order 2020Climate Change Act 2008Negative20/03/2021/03/20N/AMHCLGTown and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2020Town and Country Planning Act 1990Negative23/03/2024/03/20N/ADHSCThe Health Protection (Coronavirus, Business Closure) (England) Regulations 2020Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984Made affirmative23/03/2021/03/20The regulations were revoked before they could be approved.DfTStreet and Road Works (Amendments Relating to Electronic Communications) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 and The Traffic Management Act 2004Negative26/03/2030/03/20N/ADHSCThe National Health Service (Amendments Relating to the Provision of Primary Care Services During a Pandemic etc.) Regulations 2020The National Health Service Act 2006Negative26/03/2027/03/20N/ADHSCHealth Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020The Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984Made affirmative26/03/2026/03/2014/05/20DWPOccupational and Personal Pension Schemes (General Levy) (Revocation) Regulations 2020The Pensions Act 2004Negative27/03/2031/03/20N/ABEISCompetition Act 1998 (Health Services for Patients in England) (Coronavirus) (Public Policy Exclusion) Order 2020The Competition Act 1998Negative27/03/2028/03/20N/ABEISCompetition Act 1998 (Groceries) (Coronavirus) (Public Policy Exclusion) Order 2020The Competition Act 1998Negative27/03/2028/03/20N/ABEISWorking Time (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020The European Communities Act 1972Negative27/03/2026/03/20N/ADWPSocial Security (Coronavirus) (Further Measures) Regulations 2020The Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992; the Jobseekers Act 1995; the Housing Act 1996; The Welfare Reform Act 2012Negative27/03/2030/03/20N/ADWPNI EquivalentThe Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992; the Jobseekers Act 1995; the Housing Act 1996; The Welfare Reform Act 2012Negative27/03/2030/03/20N/ADWPStatutory Sick Pay (Coronavirus) (Suspension of Waiting Days and General Amendment) Regulations 2020The Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992; The Coronavirus Act 2020Negative27/03/2028/03/20N/ADWPNI EquivalentThe Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992; The Coronavirus Act 2020Negative27/03/2028/03/20N/ADWPThe Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (General Levy) (Revocation) Regulations 2020The Pension Schemes Act 1993Negative27 March31/03/20N/ABEISCompetition Act 1998 (Solent Maritime Crossings) (Coronavirus) (Public Policy Exclusion) Order 2020The Competition Act 1998Negative27/03/2028/03/20N/AHOPolice Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Amendment) Regulations 2020The Police Act 1997Negative27/03/2028/03/20N/AHOInvestigatory Powers (Temporary Judicial Commissioners and Modification of Time Limits) Regulations 2020The Coronavirus Act 2020Negative27 March27/03/20N/ABEISThe Feed-in Tariffs (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Order 2020The Energy Act 2008Negative30 March31/03/20N/ADfTThe Motor Vehicles (Tests) (Amendment) Regulations 2020The Road Traffic Act 1988Negative30/03/2031/03/20.N/ADHSCNursing and Midwifery Council (Emergency Procedures) (Amendment) Rules 2020 Order of Council 2020The Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001Negative30/03/2031/03/20N/AHOCoronavirus (Retention of Fingerprints and DNA Profiles in the Interests of National Security) Regulations 2020Coronavirus Act 2020Negative01/04/2002/04/20N/AMHCLGThe Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011Negative02/04/2004/04/20N/ADWPThe Social Security (Coronavirus) (Further Measures) Amendment Regulations 2020The Housing Act 1996 and the Welfare Reform Act 2012Negative3 April06/04/20N/ADWPThe Social Security (Coronavirus) (Further Measures) Amendment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020The Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015Negative3 April06/04/20N/AMHCLGThe Local Government and Police and Crime Commissioner (Coronavirus) (Postponement of Elections and Referendums) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020The Coronavirus Act 2020Negative6 April07/04/20N/AMoJThe Prison and Young Offender Institution (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Rules 2020The Prison Act 1952Negative6 April06/04/20N/AMoJThe Offender Management Act 2007 (Coronavirus) (Approved Premises) Regulations 2020The Offender Management Act 2007Negative6 April06/04/20N/ADWPThe Social Security (Coronavirus) (Prisoners) Regulations 2020The Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 The Jobseekers Act 1995 The State Pension Credit Act 2002 The Welfare Reform Act 2007 The Welfare Reform Act 2012Negative7 April08/04/20N/ADWPThe Social Security (Coronavirus) (Prisoners) Regulations 2020 Northern IrelandThe Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 The Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 The State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 The Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007 The Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015Negative7 April08/04/20N/ADWPSocial Fund Funeral Expenses Payment (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020The Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992Negative7 April08/04/20N/AMHCLGAccounts and Audit (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014Negative7 April30/04/20N/AMHCLGTown and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Coronavirus) (England) (Amendment) Order 2020The Town and Country Planning Act 1990Negative08/04/2009/04/20N/ADHSCThe National Health Service (Performers List) (England) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020The National Health Service Act 2006Negative08/04/2009/04/20N/AMoJThe Criminal Procedure (Amendment No. 2) (Coronavirus) Rules 2020The Courts Act 2003Negative09/04/2014/04/20N/AMoJThe Electronic Monitoring (Responsible Persons) Order 2020The Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000Negative09/04/2010/04/20N/AMoJTribunal Procedure (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Rules 2020The Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007Negative09/04/2010/04/20N/AMoJEmployment Appeals (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Rules 2020The Employment Tribunals Act 1996Negative09/04/2010/04/20N/ADWPThe Statutory Sick Pay (General) (Coronavirus Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2020The Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992Negative15/04/2016/04/20N/ABEISLand Registry Amendment 2020The Land Registration Act 2002Negative15/04/2016/04/20N/AMHCLGThe Local Government (Coronavirus) (Structural Changes) (Consequential Amendments) (England) Regulations 2020.The Coronavirus Act 2020Negative16 April08/04/20N/ADHSCThe Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Regulated Activities) (Coronavirus) Order 2020The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006Negative17/04/2017/04/20N/ABEISCompetition Act 1998 (Health Services for Patients in Wales) (Coronavirus) (Public Policy Exclusion) Order 2020The Competition Act 1998Negative20/04/2021/04/20N/ABEISOffshore Petroleum Production and Pipe-lines (Assessment of Environmental Effects) (Coronavirus) (Amendments) 2020The European Communities Act 1972Negative22/04/2023/04/20N/ADHSCHealth Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020The Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984Made affirmative22/04/2022/04/2014/05/20DfEThe Adoption and children (coronavirus) (amendment) Regulations 2020.  Negative ProcedureThe Children Act 1989 The Care Standards Act 2000 The Adoption and Children Act 2002 The Children Act 2004 The Education and Inspections Act 2006Negative23/04/2024/04/20N/AMHCLGThe Non-Domestic Rating (Transitional Protection Payments and Rates Retention) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020The Local Government Finance Act 1988Negative23/04/201(2)Subject to paragraph (3), these Regulations come into force on 15th May 2020.  1(3)This regulation and regulation 3(1) and (3) come into force on 29th April 2020.N/ADfEThe School Admissions (Appeals Arrangements) (England) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020.  Negative ProcedureThe School Standards and Framework Act 1998Negative23/04/2024/04/20N/ADfEThe Early Years Foundation Stage (learning and development requirements) and (Welfare requirements) Miscellaneous provisions) (amendment) (coronavirus) Regulations 2020.  Negative ProcedureThe Childcare Act 2006Negative23/04/2024/04/20N/AMoJThe Taking Control of Goods and Certification of Enforcement Agents (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020The Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007Negative24/04/2025/04/20N/ADWPThe Maternity Allowance, Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay, Statutory Paternity Pay, Statutory Shared Parental Pay and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (Normal Weekly Earnings etc.) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020.The Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992Negative24/04/2025/04/20N/ADWPThe State Pension Credit (Coronavirus) (Electronic Claims) Regulations 2020The Social Security Administration Act 1992Negative27/04/2004/05/20N/ADHSCNational Health Service (Quality Accounts) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020The Health Act 2009Negative28/04/2029/05/20N/AHOThe Misuse of Drugs (Amendments) (Pandemic supply) Regulations 2020The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971Negative29/04/2029/05/20N/ADfEThe Special Educational Needs and Disability (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020The Children and Families Act 2014 The Education Act 1996Negative30/04/2001/05/20N/ADfEThe Education (School Teachers' Qualifications and Induction Arrangements) (England) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020The Education Act 2002Negative30/04/2021/05/20N/AMoJCriminal Legal Aid (Coronavirus, Remuneration) (Amendment) Regulations 2020The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012Negative30/04/2001/05/20N/ADefraThe Common Agricultural Policy (Control and Enforcement, Cross-Compliance, Scrutiny of Transactions and Appeals) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2020.The European Communities Act 1972 Article 78(b) of Regulation (EU) 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilNegative01/05/2015/05/20N/ABEISCompetition Act 1998 (Dairy Produce) (Coronavirus) (Public Policy Exclusion) Order 2020Competition Act 1998Negative01/05/2001/05/20N/AHMTFinancial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Order 2020Financial Services and Markets Act 2000Negative01/05/2004/05/20N/ADHSCHealth Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984Made affirmative13/05/2013/05/2015/06/20MHCLGThe Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) (Coronavirus)(Amendment) Order 2020European Communities Act 1972Negative13/05/2014/05/20N/AHMRCThe Individual Savings Account (Amendment No 3) Regulations 2020Finance Act 1993; Income Tax (Trading and Other Income) Act 2005; Finance Act 2016Negative14/05/2004/06/20N/ADefraThe Direct Payments (Application Deadlines) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2020Article 78(b)(1) of Regulation (EU) 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilNegative14/05/2015/05/20N/AMoJPrison and Young Offender Institution (Coronavirus) (Amendment) (No. 2) Rules 2020Prison Act 1952Negative14/05/2015/05/20N/ADWPStatutory Sick Pay (Coronavirus) (Funding of Employers' Liabilities) Regulations 2020Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992Negative15/05/2026/05/20N/ADWPStatutory Sick Pay (Coronavirus) (Funding of Employers' Liabilities) Northern Ireland Regulations 2020Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992Negative15/05/2026/05/20N/AMoJThe Civil Legal Aid (Remuneration) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012Negative18/05/2008/06/20N/ADWPUniversal Credit (Coronavirus) (Self-employed Claimants and Reclaims) (Amendment) Regulations 2020The Social Security Administration Act 1992; Welfare Reform Act 2012Negative20/05/2021/05/20N/ADWPUniversal Credit (Coronavirus) (Self-employed Claimants and Reclaims) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992Negative20/05/2021/05/20N/ABEISElectricity Capacity (Amendment etc.) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003Draft affirmative20/05/20N/A02/07/20HMRCThe Income Tax (Exemption for Coronavirus Related Home Office Expenses) Regulations 2020Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003Negative21/05/2011/06/20N/AHMRCThe Social Security Contributions (Disregarded Payments) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992Negative21/05/2011/06/20N/AHMRCThe Tax Credits (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2020Tax Credits Act 2002Negative22/05/2023/05/20N/ADfTThe Traffic Order Procedure (England) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984Negative22/05/2023/05/20N/ADWPThe Statutory Sick Pay (General) (Coronavirus Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2020Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992Negative27/05/2028/05/20N/ADfEIndependent Schools (DBS Checks) (Coronavirus) SIEducation and Skills Act 2008Negative28/05/2018/06/20N/ADfEThe Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020Education Act 1996Negative28/05/2001/06/20N/ADfEThe School Discipline (England) (Coronavirus) (Pupil Exclusions and Reviews) (Amendment) Regulations 2020Education Act 2002Negative28/05/2001/06/20N/ADfEThe Schools Forums (England) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020School Standards and Framework Act 1998Negative28/05/2018/06/20N/ADHSCHealth Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2020Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984Made affirmative01/06/2001/06/2025/06/20AGProsecution of Offences Act 1985 (Specified Proceedings) (Amendment) Order 2020Prosecution of Offences Act 1985Negative02/06/2002/06/20N/ADHSCThe Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Statutory Storage Period for Embryos and Gametes) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990Negative03/06/2001/07/20N/ADHSCHealth Protection (Coronavirus, Public Health Information for Passengers Travelling to England) Regulations 2020Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984Negative03/06/2008/06/20N/ADfTThe Health Protection (Coronavirus, Public Health Advice for Passengers) (England) Regulations 2020Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984Negative03/06/2008/06/20N/ADfEThe Higher Education (Fee Limits and Student Support) (England) (Coronavirus) SIHigher Education and Research Act 2017; Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998Draft affirmative04/06/20N/A02/07/20BEISContracts for Difference (Electricity Supplier Obligations)Energy Act 2013Draft affirmative04/06/20N/A02/07/20DefraDirect Payments to Farmers (Inspections) (Coronavirus) (England) Regulations 2020Article 62(2)(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilNegative09/06/2030/06/20N/ADHSCHealth Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2020Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984Made affirmative12/06/2013/06/20The regulations were revoked before they could be approved.DfT/DHSCThe Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings on Public Transport) (England) Regulations 2020 (S.I., 2020, No. 592)Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984Made affirmative15/06/2115/06/2008/07/20DfEThe Education (Pupil Information) (England) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020Education Act 1996Negative18/06/2009/07/20N/AMHCLGThe Business Tenancies (Restriction on Forfeiture: Relevant Period) (Coronavirus) (England) Regulations 2020Coronavirus Act 2020Negative19/06/2029/06/20N/AMoJTaking Control of Goods and Certification of Enforcement Agents (Amendment) (No.2) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007Negative19/06/2024/06/20N/AMoJCompetition Appeals TribunalCrime and Courts Act 2013Draft affirmative22/06/20N/A15/07/20BEISEnterprise Act 2002 (Specification of Additional Section 58 Consideration) Order 2020Enterprise Act 2002Made affirmative22/06/2023/06/2015/07/20HMRCThe Life Assurance Scheme (English and Welsh Schemes) (Excluded Benefits for Tax Purposes) Regulations 2020Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003Negative22/06/2013/07/20N/AMHCLGThe Town and Country Planning (Permitted Development and Miscellaneous Amendments) (England) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020Town and Country Planning Act 1990Negative24/06/2025/06/20N/ABEISThe Limited Liability Partnerships (Amendment etc.) Regulations 2020  Negative ProcedureLimited Liability Partnerships Act 2000Negative26/06/2026/06/20N/ABEISThe Companies etc. (Filing Requirements) (Temporary Modifications) Regulations 2020 Negative ProcedureCompanies Act 2006; Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020Negative26/06/2027/06/20N/ABEISPatents, Trade Marks and Registered Designs (Fees) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Rules 2020Trade Marks Act 1994; Registered Designs Act 1949Negative29/06/2030/07/20N/ADfTElectric Scooter (Trials) Regulations - (working title)Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994; Road Traffic Act 1988; Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984Negative30/06/2004/07/20N/AHMRCThe Childcare Payments (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2020Childcare Payments Act 2014Negative30/06/2021/07/20N/AMHCLGCommunity Infrastructure Levy (Coronavirus) (Amendment)(England) Regulations 2020The Planning Act 2008Draft affirmative30/06/2020N/A14/07/20MOJThe Secure Training Centre (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Rules 2020Prison Act 1952Negative01/07/202002/07/20N/ADWPThe Statutory Sick Pay (General) (Coronavirus Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2020Social Security (Incapacity for Work) Act 1994; Coronavirus Act 2020; Social Security Contributions (Transfer of Functions, etc.) Act 1999Negative03/07/2006/07/20N/ADWPThe Statutory Sick Pay (General) (Coronavirus Amendment) (No.2) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2020Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992; Coronavirus Act 2020Negative03/07/2006/07/20N/ADHSCHealth Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Leicester) Regulations 202006/07/20Made affirmative03/07/2004/07/20Still going through parliamentary processDHSCHealth Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2020Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984Made affirmative03/07/2004/07/20Still going through parliamentary processDHSCThe Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Public Health Information) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984Negative06/07/2007/07/20N/ADWPPension Protection Fund (Moratorium and Arrangements and Reconstructions for Companies in Financial Difficulty) Regulations 2020The Insolvency Act 1986; The Companies Act 2006; Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020Made affirmative06/07/2007/07/20Still going through parliamentary processDCMSCharitable Incorporated Organisations Moratorium Regulations 2020Charities Act 2011Made affirmative08/07/2006/07/20Still going through parliamentary processHMRCThe Value Added Tax (Zero Rate for Personal Protective Equipment) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Order 2020Value Added Tax Act 1994Negative09/07/2030/07/20N/AHMRCInternational Tax Enforcement (Disclosable Arrangements) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020the Finance Act 2019Negative09/07/2030/07/20N/ADfEThe Childcare (Coronavirus) (Miscellaneous) (Amendment) Regulations 2020  Negative Procedurethe Childcare Act 2016Negative10/07/2031/07/20N/ADHSCHealth Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984Made affirmative10/07/2011/07/20Still going through parliamentary processDHSCHealth Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (England) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984Negative10/07/2011/07/20N/AHMRCValue Added Tax (Reduced Rate) (Hospitality and Tourism) (Coronavirus) Order 2020the Value Added Tax Act 1994Negative14/07/2015/07/20N/AMHCLGTown and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004Negative15/07/2016/07/20N/ABEISEnvironmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018Negative15/07/2016/07/20N/ADHSCHealth Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No. 3) Regulations 2020the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984Made affirmative17/07/2018/07/20Still going through parliamentary processDHSCHealth Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Leicester) (Amendment) Regulations 2020the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984Made affirmative20/07/2018/07/20Still going through parliamentary process